Key Information

Photographer

Unknown Photographer

Collection

Hugh E. Richardson

Date of Photo

September 28th 1936

Named Person

Frederick Spencer Chapman, Sir Basil Gould, Hugh Richardson, Dr Morgan, Norbhu Dhondup

Region

Lhasa > Dekyi Lingka

Accession number

BMR.86.1.29.2

The British Mission entertain the Cabinet under an awning at the Dekyi Lingka. Young high ranking Tibetan girls, often referred to as 'Chang girls' by Mission members, serve the guests. The servant in the background wearing white is wearing the normal dress of the Mission servants, which in this case is an amalgam of Indian dress with a Tibetan waistcoat

Further Information

Photographic Process

Print gelatin silver

Expedition

British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37

Photo also owned by

Donated to the British Museum in 1986 by Hugh E. Richardson

Previous Catologue Number

CU.32 In publication
'Lhasa Mission 1936, Diary of Events', P. Neame, H. Richardson, F. S. Chapman, Government of India Political Department [Note: photographs for October 18th - November 4th 1936 are not included as their relationship to text is not detailed; see Mission Diary text for details of images] [see photos in publication]

Related Collections

F. S. Chapman Collection in the Pitt Rivers Museum

This Image also appears in another collection

1998.131.414.1

Other Information

Notes on print/mount - The reference 'CU.32' has been written on the back of the print in pencil [MS 24/03/2006]

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Caption in Chapman's hand-written list of negatives made whilst on the Mission to Lhasa, 1936-7 [See PRM Manuscripts Collection]: 'General view of lunch'; PRM Manuscripts Collection: ‘List of Tibetan Prints and Negatives’ - Book 3: ‘26/4 - The Shappes (cabinet ministers) come to lunch with us. Tendong on left, two chang-girls pour our barley beer’ [MS 24/03/2006]

Other Information - Cultural Background

Other Information - Cultural Background: Although Chapman describes these girls as Chang Girls, they are more likely to be the daughters of aristocrats as they are exceptionally well-dressed and wearing very expensive ornaments and jewellery [TS 14/2/2005]

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'CU' comprise a group of negatives containing images of gentians, lammergeyers, and vultures, Hugh Richardson and cairns, Gyamberi [‘Holy Hill’], Norbhu, Trimon, Tsarong, Ringang, Gould, Tendong, 'chang girls'. They seem to have been taken on September 27th - 28th 1936, with this image having been taken on September 28th [MS 24/03/2006]

Other Information - Description: Mission Diary entry for September 28th 1936 - "We gave a lunch party to the officials of Cabinet rank. They were the three Shapes, Trimon shape (retired), Tsarong Dzasa, the Chikyap Khempo (head of all the monk officials) and the Yapshi Kung (a relation of a former Dalai Lama). Ringang also came as interpreter. // Before lunch Mr Gould met the Kashag for a brief but profitable business talk. // Our Tibetan guests are easy to entertain and appear to enjoy being entertained. There is never any hurry to break up the party. This one lasted until 5 p.m." ['Lhasa Mission, 1936: Diary of Events', Part VII p.1, written by Richardson] [MS 24/03/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Cabinet dinner, Dekyi Lingka" 05 Dec. 2006. The British Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_BMR.86.1.29.2.html>.

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Cabinet dinner, Dekyi Lingka