Key Information

Photographer

Evan Yorke Nepean

Collection

Evan Yorke Nepean

Date of Photo

September 14th 1936?

Named Person

Tsarong family

Region

Lhasa > Tsarong House

Accession number

2001.35.192.1

Image Dimensions

90 x 58 mm

The Tsarong family on the front steps of their house near Lhasa. The women of the family are wearing elaborate head dresses, gau and other ornamental jewellery befitting their aristocratic status

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative

Date Acquired

Loaned August 2002

Donated by

Judy Goldthorp

Expedition

British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37

Photo also owned by

Lady Nepean

This Image also appears in another collection

2001.35.396.36.2

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Caption for this image in Nepean's album (see Same Image As) - ' The family of Sarong - a wealthy Tibetan'. [MS 30/07/2006

Other Information - Dates

Other Information - Dates: This photograph may have been taken on September 14th when Tsarong hosted dinner for the Mission members on the occasion of Brigadier Neame's departure from Lhasa [MS 30/07/2006]

Other Information - Description: "In most Tibetan houses, except perhaps Ringang's, we had to be on our best behaviour, but Tsarong's parties were always completely riotous, especially when his three children came home from school. ... // After tea the Dele Rabdens came in. ... His wife is very distinguished-looking and has a quiet shy manner. // All three women were dressed in the complicated and resplendent finery of the Lhasa lady of fashion. The glossy black hair is parted in the middle and brushed down at the side to cover the ears. At the back it is neatly tied in two long plaits. The parting divides on the crown of the head so as to run each side of a small patch of hair as big as a penny, then unites again. The hair from this isolated portion is made into a small plait which covers the parting down the back of the head. Two heavy gold ear-rings set with large pieces of turquoise are hung from the hair above the ears, effectively framing the oval face. On the back of the head is worn a concave triangular crown closely covered with strings of seed pearls and further ornamented with a row of corals the size and colour of cherries. False hair is suspended from each side of the crown; it hangs loose to begin with and is then plaited with a red tassel so that it almost reaches the ground. ... // It was at Tsarong's house that we first me Tibetan children, whom we found most delightful - quite unspoiled and full of life and intelligence" ['Lhasa: The Holy City', F. Spencer Chapman, London: Chatto & Windus, 1938, pp. 106-7] [MS 28/03/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "The Tsarong family" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_2001.35.192.1.html>.

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The Tsarong family