Top section of eastern face of Sho inscription pillar

Top section of eastern face of Sho inscription pillar

2001.59.17.10.1 (Film negative)

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Key Information

Photographer

Hugh E. Richardson

Collection

Hugh Richardson

Date of Photo

1946-50

Region

Lhasa > Sho

Accession number

2001.59.17.10.1

Image Dimensions

55 x 55 mm

Top section of the eastern face of the Sho inscription pillar, Lhasa. Damage can clearly be seen on the edge on the right.

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative film nitrate

Date Acquired

Donated August 2001

Donated by

The executors of the estate of Hugh E. Richardson

Expedition

Hugh E. Richardson

Published

‘High Peaks, Pure Earth’, Hugh Richardson, London, Serindia Publications, 1998 [view list of illustrations]

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Notes on negative album (outer case) - 'INSCRIPTIONS ON RDO RINGS' (in black ink on white label) and 'Inscriptions & misc.' (in black ink on yellow label) is written in Richardson's hand on the cover of the negative album. [KC 21/9/2006]

Manual Catalogues -


Manual Catalogues - Notes on negative index - 'EAST'

Research publication - High Peaks, Pure Earth , H. E. Richardson, London, Serindia Publications, 1998, plate 16. "Detail of inscription on east face of Zhol rdo-ring ." [KC 09/11/2006]

Other Information - Location and History; Richardson discusses this pillar and provides translation of the inscriptions on it in
A Corpus of Early Tibetan Inscriptions , Hertford: Royal Asiatic Society (James G. Forlong Series No. XXIX), 1985, pp. 1-25. "The three connected inscriptions on the east, south, and north faces of the tall and graceful stone pillar standing on the south side of the road that runs past the village of Zhol at the foot of the Potala are the earliest surviving from the time of the kings. pillar stands on the south side of the road that runs past the village of Zhol at the foot of the Potala in Lhasa." (p.1) The Zhol Pillar is thought to have been erected during the reign of Khri srong lde brtsan (755-c.794 A.D) to mark the appointment of relatively unknown person, Nganlam Tagdrag Lukhong (Ngan-Lam Stag sgra klu-khong), as a minister. [KC 21/9/2006]

Hugh Richardson argues that the pillar was erected in 764 A.D or little later. The pillar is inscribed on all four sides. For a full transcrition and translation, see: H. E. Ricardson, A Corpus of Early Tibetan Inscriptions" Hugh Richardson, A Corpus of Early Tibetan Inscriptions". Royal Asiatic Society, London. 1985. pp:1-25. [TS 4/4/2005]

Other Information - Dates


Other Information - Dates: This is one of a group of 25 images for which contact prints were made using the same printing out paper although with slighty different tonal qualities as some are very sepia toned. However, there is a very limited number of images in the collection printed out on this type of paper. One of the images in this group is from Samye and Richardson states that he photographed and copied this particular inscription pillar in 1949 [ A Corpus of Early Tibetan Inscriptions , Royal Asiatic Society: James G. Forlong Series, No. XXIX, p.26]. This suggests that the images may have been taken around that time [MS 17/12/2005]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Top section of eastern face of Sho inscription pillar" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_2001.59.17.10.1.html>.

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