IDNO

P.96622.WIL

Description

On Cech’s list describing prints:
“F. W. became Political Officer in Sikkim on January 4th, 1933.
(Photos 53-75: in and around Paro MPOW: 70-73)
57. “The Penlop’s dancers [photo taken by] (Sherriff)”
See ww: paro penlop
This is a fine picture of two dancers described in MPOW: 72.” [printed text]
For more information see Cech’s list.

Place

S Asia; Bhutan; Paro

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Paro Penlop (Tsering Peljor)

Photographer

Sherriff, George

Collector / Expedition

Date

June 1933

Collection Name

Williamson Collection

Source

Williamson, Margaret

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Context: This is a special dance which is normally performed during a ceremonial welcome for the guest of honor. The dancers were beautiful silk crown and silk gho. In their hand they have small drums. They also have a long sword tired down their waist [Dawa Dem 15/9/2008]

Place: The castle in the picture on the hill is know as Paro Ta Dzong (meaning ; watch tower). This has been converted to the national museum which now holds lots of important artifacts and treasures of Bhutan. We can also see lots of white prayer flags which is very much a part of Bhutanese culture.
[Dawa Dem 15/9/2008]

Context: There is also a popular belief that this men who dance in the ceremonial procession dance gracefully in front of the guest and they move around because their role is like that of a spy. While dancing gracefully they also try to see if there are any ambush or danger ahead for the guest. [Dawa Dem 16/9/2008]

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]

Publication: The photograph has been digitised for the European Collected Library of Artistic Performance (ECLAP) and is accessible on the portal http://www.eclap.eu/drupal/. [SG 31/10/2012]