1998.131.227 (Film negative)
Raw Image
Evan Yorke Nepean
Frederick Spencer Chapman
September 8th 1936?
Lhasa > Lingkhor
1998.131.227
61 x 91 mm
Negative film nitrate
Donated 1994
Faith Spencer Chapman
British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37
Frederick Spencer Chapman
Evan Yorke Nepean
YN.48
SC.T.2.227
2001.35.396.27.1 2001.35.133.1
In Negative - 'YN 48' has been scratched into the negative in the bottom left hand corner. [MS 16/03/2006]
Other Information - Photographer: The inscription 'YN' in the negative relates to Evan Yorke Nepean, who was part of the Mission to Lhasa in 1936-37 and who took many photographs alongside Chapman. For this reason the image has been re-attributed as having been taken by Nepean. Nepean was a participant on the Mission to Lhasa and stayed in Lhasa during the period 6th September - 14th December 1936[MS 3/2/2005]
Other Information - Dates: This image has been dated by relating it to similar images taken by Chapman [MS 16/03/2006]
Other Information - Description: Chapman gives an extended description of sights on the full Lingkhor circuit around Lhasa and the Potala in his book Lhasa the Holy City [London: Chatto & Windus, 1938; reprint, London: Readers Union Ltd., 1940, pp. 160-70] [MS 16/03/2006]
Other Information - Cultural Background: The Lingkhor (or outer circumambulation route) around Lhasa is regularly walked by pilgrims and other Tibetan Buddhists as a merit accruing act. These carvings (located on the route near the Medical College at Chakpori) depict a thousand Buddhas interspersed with three larger images of Sakyamuni Buddha which were painted red, blue and gold. Devotees would spin prayer wheels, recite mantras or perform full-length prostrations along the path, stopping at key points such as this to carry out other activities. At this particular site the forehead would be placed onto a Buddha image, a finger placed inside a hole or the pilgrim would crawl under the slab of rock at the foot of the wall. [CH 2003]
Other Information - Cultural Background: Pilgrims Would Circumambulate The Lingkhor (approx 6 Miles in total) And Then The Barkhor (often prostrating themselves all the way) until arriving at the Jokhang . [Marina de Alarcón ZF 1995.1]
For Citation use:
The Tibet Album.
"Deities carved into rock face on Lingkhor"
05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum.
<http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.227.html>.
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