IDNO

N.103729.WIL

Description

Two Shengos (disciplinary heads) of Drepung monastery. They each have heavily padded shoulders and carry a large ornate mace, or staff of office. Behind them, on the left, stand a small group of spectators watching on.

Place

C Asia; Tibet; Drepung

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Williamson, Frederick

Collector / Expedition

Date

7 September 1933

Collection Name

Williamson Collection

Source

Williamson, Margaret

Format

Film Negative Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

N.103725.WIL - N.103762.WIL were found on Frederick Williamson's film, ref FW.54, in a box labelled Leica Films 40 - 60.

Related Image: On Cech’s list describing print P.97053.WIL:
“(58-135 where taken in Lhasa.)
117a. “The She-ngos - disciplining heads of Dre-pung”
These men are padded for awesome effect. Here they are seen holding their maces.” [printed text]
For more information see Cech’s list.

Place: Drepung (‘Bras-spungs) This monastery is situated about 8km west of Lhasa. Drepung literally means ‘rice mound’, the Tibetan translation of ‘Dhanyakataka’, the Sanskrit name of the magnificent stupas in south India where the Buddha is said to have taught the Kalachakra tantra. It was founded in 1416 [by Jamyang Choje Tashi Palden (1397-1449)] and soon grew into the largest of all Gelugpa monasteries having more than 7000 monks. [Source: Cech’s list, CJ 1/9/2008]

Place: F Spencer Chapman writes about Drepung monastery in Lhasa: The Holy City, 1938, London:Chatto and Windus, p. 195, “Drepung is supposed to house 7700 monks, but sometimes as many as 10,000 live there. The name Dre-pung literally means 'the pile of rice', which is what the monastery resembles as its tiers of whitewashed buildings lie one behind the other on a sloping site at the head of a wedge-shaped valley. Looked at from a distance Drepung resembles a large fortified city rather than a single monastery, and it is only when one climbs the steep mountain slopes behind it and looks down on to its innumerable ramifications that one gets a true idea of its immense size. Looked at from below it is foreshortened and many of the buildings are dwarfed or hidden." [Source: http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1999.23.1.17.1.html, CJ 1/9/2008]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Caspian James 1/9/2008]