IDNO

P.97070.WIL

Description

On Cech’s list describing prints:
“(58-135 where taken in Lhasa.)
125. “Ladies Party 19.9.33”
125d. Seated at tea.
See ww: Tsarong, Mary, Kunga, Norbhu, Samdup
mpow: 118” [printed text]
For more information see Cech’s list.

Place

C Asia; Tibet; Lhasa; Dekyi Lingka

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Mrs Tsarong (Pema Dolkar); Mary (Rinchen Dolma Tering)

Photographer

Williamson, Margaret

Collector / Expedition

Date

19 September 1933

Collection Name

Williamson Collection

Source

Williamson, Margaret

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Bibliographical Reference: Margaret Williamson writes "The ladies’ party was held on 19 September [1933] and was attended by twenty-three Lhasa ladies and about a dozen children who for some reason or other had been unable to come to the children’s parti. The ladies looked most  picturesque in their colourful clothes and exquisite jewellery. Most of them wore their hair in the Lhasa style, built up into two pinnacles on a triangular frame decorated with seed pearls and corals. One of two, however, sported the Gyantse style, which is more elaborate, incorporating a semi-circular hoop with various parts, again all decorated with pearls and corals… We began with a cinema show and then Pinjo laid on a sumptuous tea. Lhasa ladies used only to mix in very restricted circles and so this occasion was a great novelty; it allowed them to meet and talk with others whom they would never in the normal course of things have an opportunity to meet. They all appeared to enjoy themselves immensely and many came to call on me later." (Memoirs of a Political Officer’s Wife in Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan by Margaret D. Williamson, Wisdom Publications, 1987, p. 118). [JD 11/07/2023]

Publication: Image published alongside N.103774.WIL in MAA's Digital Lab blog 'A Ceremonial Cup of Tea', 20 June 2023, and captioned: "Figures 14 and 15. Left – A ladies party in the garden of Dekyilingka (now the Dekyiling Tibetan settlement in Dehradun, India). Several small groups of women stand talking to one another and Margaret can be seen in the background. Photographed by Frederick Williamson. MAA N.103774.WIL. Right – Invitees to the ladies’ party in Lhasa, Tibet seated at tea. Photographed by Margaret Williamson. MAA P.97070.WIL. Donated by Margaret Williamson. Williamson Collection." [Source: https://www.maadigitallab.org/blog/2023/06/20/a-ceremonial-cup-of-tea/, JD 10/07/2023]

Publication: Detail of image published alongside detail of N.103704.WIL in MAA's Digital Lab blog 'A Ceremonial Cup of Tea', 20 June 2023, and captioned: "Figures 16 and 17. Left – Detail of a photograph of the children’s party showing tea served in both tea cups with handles and a wide cup without a handle. MAA N.103704.WIL. Right – Detail of a photograph of the ladies party showing women drinking from both tea cups with handles and a wide cup without a handle. MAA P.97070.WIL. Photographed and donated by Margaret Williamson. Williamson Collection." [Source: https://www.maadigitallab.org/blog/2023/06/20/a-ceremonial-cup-of-tea/, JD 10/07/2023]

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]