IDNO

DG.145043.SHP

Description

"Our host Rai Bahadur Norbu Dhondup O.B.E., The British Agent Yatung and in charge of the British Mission in Lhasa. In ceremonial robe. 22 September."

Full length portrait of Rai Bahadur Norbhu OBE, a Tibetan aristocrat who worked as interpreter to the British Mission, wearing a ceremonial robe. The hat, which is worn by officials in summer, has a brocade brim and a high crown of red silk tassels with a coral ornament on top

Place

S Asia; Tibet; Lhasa

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Rai Bahadur Norbu Dhondup O.B.E.

Photographer

Jack, Archibald (Archie) Frederick Maclean (Leuit., R.E.)

Collector / Expedition

Date

?14 September 1938; ?22 September 1938

Collection Name

Shepheard Collection

Source

Shepheard Rogers, Patricia

Format

Album Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Related Archive: Noted in Shepheard's diary 'Some Notes of Ken Shepheard on his expedition to Lhasa, Tibet, in September - October 1938' pp.59-61,
22 September 1938
Our last day ...
Whilst we were packing Ringang and Jigmi called and while we were having tea with them Trimon Shapé arrived, which was very kind of him and a great compliment to us.
Tsarong meanwhile had sent a note with his presents regretting he could not call as he was taken up with the late Tendong Shapé's affairs.
The Shapé (Trimon) was very interested in the European situation -- then tense with Chamberlain visiting Hitler -- and said he had heard a rumour that there was trouble in India and that Japan had sent a note to Congress to say she would send troops to Congress’ aid within a week!!
After the Shapé left we finished our packing but Ringang and Jigmi stayed on to dinner.
Pember and Rai Sahib also dined with us and we had a cheerful party.
Ringang and Pember amused us with problems and Jigmi produced the ‘seeing he could put a match box furthest away from a monk on the floor and stand up without using hands’ games and others.
Party ended about 1030 and we soon offed to packing and bed for the last time in our comfortable camp in the Mission Garden." [JD 14/02/2020]

Date: Although the album print is dated to the 22nd September 1938, the film and frame reference dates this image to between 13 - 15 September. [JD 01/06/2020]

Related Archive: Noted in Shepheard's diary 'Some Notes of Ken Shepheard on his expedition to Lhasa, Tibet, in September - October 1938' p.39,
"14 September 1938 - Version 1
Called on two Shapés - first Tendong, a politician, conservative and seclusionist and not overfond of England. Rich and lives in a fine house and we heard deep bass voices of many monks praying for him in his private chapel. His son a bright fellow of about 30 -- a Jongpen of some distant place and mostly an absentee overlord. English tea, biscuits etc and talk most on world affairs -- China-Japan war and the tense situation in Europe.
Then Kalon the lama Shapé, charming and fine looking; talk on buddhism, theory of reincarnation and when do the souls have time to go to heaven or hell if they are always being reincarnated; and questions of buddhist view of western medical science.
Replies rather unsatisfactory but v. friendly.
Norbu in fine raiment accompanied us and did the translating.
After lunch another Shapé - Lanchangu, and then Kipup, and then Jigmi and Mary Tehring." [JD 31/01/2020]

Named Person: "Rai Bahardur Norbhu OBE, CBE (1904-1947) was the confidential clerk to the British Political Officer for Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet. He was born in Kalimpong (Sikkim) and had no aristocratic connections but in school in Darjeeling was chosen to be an interpreter for Colonel L. A. Waddell (the scholar and doctor) during the Younghusband Expedition of 1903-1904. When Youngshusband left Lhasa he refused to go with him as he was engaged to a Tibetan girl and was treated as a deserter. However, he was used by the British as an interpreter again when the Panchen Lama visited India in 1905. He then served as confidential clerk to the British Trade Agent in Gyantse and the Political Officer for Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet. In 1920 he accompanied Sir Charles Bell to Lhasa and in 1923 visited again with Leiut.-Col. Bailey. In 1927 the 13th Dalai Lama made him a depön (general) in the Tibetan army. In 1928 he organized and accompanied Leiut.-Col. Weir’s visit to Lhasa and in 1934 was ordered to Lhasa to counteract the Chinese Mission. Following the death of Frederick Williamson in Lhasa in 1935, Norbhu became Gould’s confidential clerk for the 1936 Mission. He reported that his life had been endangered numerous times by Russian and Chinese agents during his trips to Tibet but pledged, “I… shall not die before I murder at least two, as I have my rifles and my pistols always loaded”. Gould writes of him “his greatest asset was the fact that he was a man who had no guile in him. He was full of life and experience and he was trusted. The only time I ever saw him put out was when I told him that it was not customary to wear both O.B.E and C.B.E. decorations at the same time. Some years later, an hour before he died, he sat up in bed and called the doctors fools for suggesting that he was ill… He had little education, lots of common sense, a ready laugh and infinite guts”. (1957:XX) Norbhu died in 1947 of tuberculosis. (CH 2003])." [Source: https://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.441.html, JD 16/06/2020]