IDNO

P.96600.WIL

Description

On Cech’s list describing prints:
“F. W. became Political Officer in Sikkim on January 4th, 1933.
(Photos 48-51 were taken at HA MPOW: 68-70)
49. “At Ha. Peggy’s photos [Archery 17.6.33]”
See gi: Ha
49d. “Dancing before archery 17.6.33”. Here the archers may be seen dancing in a circle around the target. This dance is performed when a bull’s-eye is hit.” [printed text]
For more information see Cech’s list.

Place

S Asia; Bhutan; Haa [Ha]

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Williamson, Margaret

Collector / Expedition

Date

17 June 1933

Collection Name

Williamson Collection

Source

Williamson, Margaret

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Context: Archery is the national game of Bhutan and it was widley played betwen different regions in the country. The traditional Bhutanese archery equipment is long bamboo bow. Most archers nowadays use a state of the art carboite Hoyt Brand bow with a complicated looking pulley system that released the arrow to tremendous speed. Competitions are a riot of colour and excitement, with two teams in traditional dress shooting at small wooden targets placed 140m apar. Tradition has it that women are not allowed to touch an archer's bow, and it is believed to decrease performance if an archer sleeps with a woman the night before a contest.The person holding a banner is the team captian. This banner is kept inside the shrine of the guardian deity the night before a contest.This archery ground has now been converted to one of the biggest golf course in Bhutan.[Dawa Dem 15/9/2008]


The transcription of this album by Mark Turin and Sara Shneiderman was carried out with reference to Krystina Cech’s catalogue list alone. Alex Nadin has since revised their cataloguing by systematically matching their records to the images. Margaret Williamson’s handwritten captions for photographs have now been transcribed into the Inscription field, and Cech’s descriptions appear in the Description field. Correct entries for Place, Named Person and Other Nos. have also been entered by Alex Nadin. [Sudeshna Guha 29/10/2002]