Yatung Oracle and his wife at home

Yatung Oracle and his wife at home

BMH.A.83.1 (Film negative)

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Key Information

Photographer

Arthur Hopkinson

Collection

A. J. Hopkinson

Date of Photo

January 30th 1927

Named Person

Yatung Oracle, Yatung Oracle's wife

Region

Chumbi Valley Region > Galingka > Oracle's House

Accession number

BMH.A.83.1

Image Dimensions

85 x 114

The Yatung Oracle and his wife inside their house at Galingka village. Slightly out of focus. An altar with images, butter lamps, khatak offering scarves and a clock can be seen in the background. The Yatung Oracle and his family outside his house in Galingka village. At the time Hopkinson visited and took this photograph at the end of January 1927, the Oracle was in the midst of a scandal, having taken a wife, and had set up home in the village in order to prevent causing further displeasure amongst the monks [A. J. Hopkinson Archive, OIOC British Library, Mss Eur D998/53, Letters mainly from Gyantse 1926-27, diary dated January 30th 1927, page A]

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative film nitrate

Expedition

A. J. Hopkinson's Tour of Duty as British Trade Agent, Gyantse, 1927-28

Other Information

In Negative - 'A83' has been written on the left edge of the negative in blue-black ink. [MS 12/05/2006]

Notes on print/mount - Two contact print made from this negative is contained in A. J. Hopkinson's negative case with the negative. The first print appears to have been removed from an album, as there are traces of black mounting paper around the edges of the print as if it has been taken out after previously being glued in place. A partially decipherable caption has been written on the back in pencil: "Choji (the Oracle) at Galingka Febry [February] 1926 [ sic - see notes ]. In his room note altar, with water for [?] in front - On ledge 4 travelling/charm boxes covered with silk scarf. On right, drinking vessels. Exposure [?] minutes". The number 7a has been written on the front top right corner in pencil. The second print simply has the name 'A. J. Hopkinson' written across the back in pencil [MS 26/06/2006]

Manual Catalogues -


Manual Catalogues - [Caption in A. J. Hopkinson's negative album 'Tibet A - A. J. Hopkinson ICS Gyantse via Siliguri]: 'Ditto [GA-LIN-KA] 'The Oracle' ' [MS 28/04/2006]

Other Information - Description: [Extract from taped interview, Richard Blurton and Mrs Hopkinson] '83 and 82 - The private chapel/reception room in the house of the oracle near Yatung. Note the icons, boxes, offerings - also a European clock, a hurricane lamp, a photograph and tea-pots as well as offering bowls containing water and gau . He must have served the local monasteries such as Kargyu (where they had a fine 1000-armed Avalokitesvara) and the monastery just past Ningma (or is it Lingma?) -tang [Lingmatang], the monastery where the Dalai Lama arrived at on his flight south from Lhasa in 1959' [MS 20/04/2006]

Other Information - Dates


Other Information - Dates: Despite the annotation on one of the prints of this image stating that it was taken in February 1926, in fact it was taken on January 30th according to the Diary that Hopkinson wrote at the time. See A. J. Hopkinson Archive, OIOC British Library, Mss Eur D998/53, Letters mainly from Gyantse 1926-27, diary dated January 30th 1927, page A [MS 26/06/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Yatung Oracle and his wife at home" 05 Dec. 2006. The British Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_BMH.A.83.1.html>.

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