1923-1937

Lobsang Chokyi Nyima, the Ninth Panchen Lama of Tibet

British, active c. 1910s

In Tibetan Buddhism, the Panchen Lama is second only to the Dalai Lama. This intriguing photograph shows Lobsang Chokyi Nyima (c. 1882-1937), a member of the Gelug order and the ninth Panchen Lama of Tibet. Like other high-ranking lamas of his time, he is dressed in a tailored silk robe with long sleeves, wide cuffs, and a close-fitting silk hat typical of those worn by the Manchu rulers of China late in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The thickness of the two cushions upon which he sits and the number of white prayer scarves draped about him are traditional Tibetan indicators of this lama's exalted status. The European decor of the room suggests this photograph may have been taken in Beijing, where this Tibetan Lama lived from 1923 until his death in 1937.