Zimchongpa at Jokhang

Zimchongpa at Jokhang

1998.131.573 (Film negative)

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Photographer's handlist

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Key Information

Photographer

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Collection

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Date of Photo

December 24th 1936

Region

Lhasa > Jokhang

Accession number

1998.131.573

Image Dimensions

113 x 85

Zimchongpa or foot soldiers in ancient armour on the roof of the Jokhang Temple at dawn. They wear chain mail, steel helmets with large plumes. Holding standards.

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative film nitrate

Date Acquired

Donated 1994

Donated by

Mrs Faith Spencer Chapman

Expedition

British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37

Photo also owned by

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Previous Catologue Number

C.20.6 [view film roll]

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

SC.T.2.573

Other Information

In Negative - '6' has been scratched into the bottom right corner of the negative. [MS 02/04/2006]

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]: 'Vert ditto [Cooking pot in foreground, pagoda and soldiers far away, soldiers holding banner] in part out of focus pagoda' [MS 02/04/2006]

Other Information - Related Images


Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'C.20' comprise a group of negatives containing images of Jokhang, Norbu Lingka, including interiors. The group of negatives are headed ‘Function at Cathedral’ by Chapman in his handlist of photographs, but this only seems to extend to the first 6 images out of 14. They all seem to have been taken on or shortly after December 24th 1936 [MS 02/04/2006]

Other Information - Description: Entry in Mission Diary for December 24th 1936: "There was a strange ceremony on the Cathedral roof at dawn today. As this only happens once a year Chapman went to take photographs. Now that most of the officials have seen our films they take the presence of the 'camera man' as a matter of course. The Kashag and most of the senior officials, in ceremonial dress, visited the many shrines of the Cathedral, and then as the sun rose above the hills to the East of Lhasa they assembled on the roof where a tent had been put up so that they could drink their tea in comfort. Meanwhile, a number of men, dressed in ancient and somewhat dilapidated Tibetan armour and helmets, assembled in a line around the roof. One old warrior with drawn sword and uncouth cries led the war dance, while the rest sang and danced in chorus" ['Lhasa Mission, 1936: Diary of Events', Part XI p. 2, written by Chapman] [MS 02/04/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Zimchongpa at Jokhang" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.573.html>.

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