The artistic and cultural heritage of Sri Lanka
Buddhist images
Buddhist symbols
Hindu art and architecture
It grows on trees
Jewellery and gems
Lacquer work
Mats and baskets
Monastery design
Ornamental gardens
Weaving a beautiful web
In the 2nd and 3rd Centuries, the Buddha ceased to
be worshipped exclusively in symbolic form and the first
effigies appeared.
The
Buddha in samadhi
The Master
is depicted sitting in the position that led him to
Enlightenment, the samadhi or position of mental calm.
His legs are crossed, as in the statues of southern
India. The smooth robe that swathes his body is gathered
at the front, on the left side of the body. His hands
are placed on his lap, palms upwards, in an expression
of meditation (dhyana mudra). The Buddha in samadhi
at Anuradhapura is a serene expression of these early
images.
Giant
statuary
In the 8th and
9th Centuries, changes in devotional practice led to
the replacement of the dagoba by giant statues of the
Buddha, draped in a folded robe. Most often he is depicted
standing, with one hand raised in a sign of peace (abhaya
mudra). This is how he is portrayed at several places
on the island, at Aukana, Sasseruwa and Maligawila,
sculpted in the living rock, the statues assuming gigantic
proportions. He is sometimes portrayed supine, as at
Gal Vihara at Polonnaruwa, his head resting on the open
palm of his hand. When the soles of the feet are parallel,
it means that he is resting. If his right foot is slightly
drawn up, it means that he is dead and about to enter
Parinirvana.
Hall
of the Image
Other signs of a new era in the Buddhist religion include
the appearance and development at Polonnaruwa from the
11th Century onwards of the patimaghara or gedige
("Hall of the Image"), which often housed huge
statues of the Buddha, created from a core of bricks.
These constitute one of the most original creations
in medieval architecture in Sri Lanka and a fine example
can be seen at Nalanda on the Kandy-Dambulla road. Their
form has varied considerably over the centuries, ending,
during the Kandyan period, with more austere, modest
buildings, housing a contrasting profusion of brightly
coloured statues and paintings.
In its early days, Buddhism relied solely on symbols,
since it abstained from any human representation of
the Buddha. For five hundred years, the objects of Buddhist
devotion consisted of either symbolic images or holy
relics.
Symbolic images often refer to events from the life
of the Buddha. For example, the Bo tree represents his
Enlightenment and the stupa his Extinction. These symbols
are still indisputably part of any modern representation.
Two footprints (sri pada), carved in the hollow of a
paving stone, evoke his immortal presence. Other images,
such as the jar of abundance, the parasol or the fly
swat are popular symbols associated with royalty and
prosperity.
There is also the same tendency towards symbolism in
the architecture of this period. This architectural
form, which pervades the history of the art of Sri Lanka,
is more than a mere shrine. Built to house relics and
accompanied by other treasures, the stupa assumed the
form of a tumulus, or burial mound, thus perpetuating
the memory of Parinirvana, "the great Extinction",
the final aim of all Buddhists, which occurred at the
death of the Buddha.
From the Anuradhapura period onwards, the stupas assumed
a cosmogonic connotation - they became an ideal representation
of the world - with buttresses engraved with symbols
built around the central dome, representing the four
cardinal points. At Anuradhapura, and at all of the
other sacred sites on the island, the stupa is a priceless
object of pilgrimage and veneration.
Hindu art
and architecture |
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The presence of Hindu communities throughout Sri Lanka's
history together with the patronage of southern Indian
powers have endowed the island with some fine, albeit
rare examples of Dravidian art.
During the period when the island was dominated by
the Cholas of Tanjore, the medieval city of Polonnaruwa
accommodated several Hindu buildings, mainly dedicated
to Shiva, the form and construction of which were quite
distinct from their Buddhist counterparts. The first
were built in stone, whereas later buildings were mostly
built in brick. In Hindu temples, the rooms become smaller
and smaller as the holy of holies inside is approached,
whereas the halls of the images of the Buddha are built
around a giant statue.
The Hindu temples of Polonnaruwa have also produced
some magnificent examples of medieval statuary from
southern India, with dancing shivas, sensuously feminine
Parvatis and hieratic Vishnus. Today these stone or
bronze statues can be found in the museums in Colombo
and Polonnaruwa.
The prevailing model in the architecture of temples
built in our present time is that of the last phase
of the Tamil Nadu style, where the sanctuary is preceded
by a monumental porch or entrance tower, the gopuram,
decorated with coloured statues of the heroes and gods
of the Indian pantheon.
On the southwest coast near Aluthgama, it can be seen what
happens to the remainder of the palm tree after removing
the coconuts. Stalls selling coir matting, brooms and
other objects made from coconut fibre line the roads,
and coconut shells are polished up and fashioned into
spoons and other trinkets. Palm wood is the basis for
a diverse carving industry, in which different regions
of Sri Lanka are associated with different woods or
techniques. Intricate relief work can be found in Kandy,
and fine furniture and devil-dancing masks in Ambalangoda,
while Kurunegala is famous for its mahogany.
Ambalangoda has made a very lucrative industry out
of selling the devil masks, which were traditionally
used in place of medicines to scare away evil spirits
(diseases). The masks are carved from soft kadura wood
from the evocatively named Nux vomica tree, which is
soaked to soften it before carving. Early examples grace
the collections of ethnological museums around the world,
but today they are no longer painted with vegetable
dyes. The gaudier designs are now popular with many
tourists, but more authentic examples can still be found.
Jewellery, traditionally considered to be a Sri Lankan
woman's portable wealth, is found in towns all over
the island. Gold rings, earrings and chains are bought
when times are good to symbolise prosperity, and as
a form of insurance in case fortunes change. Consequently,
Sri Lankans demand very pure, high-carat gold imported
from India.
Silver and silver-plated jewellery is also common and
ranges from very simple designs to chunky Indian-style
work and delicate filigree necklaces. Kandyan artisans
are renowned for their gem setting and intricate workmanship
of silver candelabra, trays, tea sets and tableware.
The gems of Sri Lanka have been famous since Biblical
times. It was to Ratnapura ("City of Gems") that King
Solomon sent emissaries to procure the jewel that won
him the heart of the Queen of Sheba. In the book 1001
Arabian Nights, Sinbad tipped off his master, Haroun
al-Raschid, that the best gems were to be found in Serendib,
as the Arab's called Sri Lanka. More recently, British
royals have also been struck by Sri Lanka's exquisite
stones. The largest sapphire in the British royal crown
is the Blue Belle of Asia, found in a village near Ratnapura,
and the famous Panther Brooch made by Cartier in the
1930s for the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, holds
another Sri Lankan sapphire of 152.35 carats. On this
note, the famous Star of India belonging to Queen Elizabeth
II is also, in fact, a Sri Lankan sapphire.
A curious phenomenon about Sri Lankan gem pits is that
a variety of gems are usually found together. There
always seems to be an assorted collection of spinels,
corundums (sapphire and ruby) and star stones. Aquamarines,
tourmalines, topaz, garnets, amethyst, cats' eyes and
zircons are also found here. But the most outstanding
of all are the glistening rubies and sapphires for which
Sri Lanka has been one of the oldest sources in the
world.
Although people are often interested primarily in cut
and clarity where diamonds are concerned, Sri Lankan
gems have a distinctive colour, which is the first priority
in assessing their quality.
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Alexandrite |
A rare gem which is green in daylight but raspberry red in
artificial light
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Aquamarine |
The majority are pale and overpriced
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Blue Topaz |
Any blue examples have been irradiated abroad using
white topaz found locally
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Chrysoberyl |
Many low-quality "Cat's Eyes" are coming in from India.
For the best Sri Lankan stones, look for faceted chrysoberyl,
occasionally found in very attractive green/yellow,
and green colours
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Garnet |
All colours except blue, with the most popular being
the pyrope or "firey garnet". Those with a
purplish overtone are the most prized, and large good
quality stones are often available
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Moonstone |
World's best blue flash, but large pieces (over 3 carats)
are rare
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Sapphire |
All colours, but blue/pink and yellow are the best
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Spinel |
Bright pastel attractive colours are the best
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Lacquer bowls, containers and other objects originate
from Matale near Kandy but are now found everywhere.
Many of these are just painted and coated with varnish
but examples of work finished in Lac can still be found.
Lac is a resinous substance that is secreted by the
Lac insect when it punctures the bark of certain trees.
The resin is removed, melted down and strained through
muslin, before being worked with pigment while still
soft.
The two techniques used in Sri Lankan lacquer ware
are biraluvada or spool work, which is used to decorate
objects that will spin on a lathe, and niyapotuvada,
in which the artisan's thumbnail is used to guide the
filament of Lac in application. Biraluvada lacquer ware
can be found in Tangalle, while Matale is famous for
its niyapotuvada work.
Weaving is not restricted to textiles on the island
but extends to transforming almost any variety of local
palm leaf into an array of colourful mats and baskets.
Mats were traditionally functional items, covering floors
and beds, and the most famous ones, dumburra, are woven
in the village of Henawela near Kandy.
The dumburra weavers are a secluded clan whose weaving
patterns are based on geometric designs and do not traditionally
depict plants, animals or human form. Given the history
of the area, it is probable that their designs have
come from Islamic art, which also bars depictions of
animate forms.
The tapestry is made from hemp that grows wild on the
surrounding hills and is woven on a narrow loom. The
results make attractive wall hangings, cushion covers
and tablecloths. Locating good dumburra weaving is difficult
as pieces take a long time to produce and so quality
examples are in short supply.
Induruwa, south of Bentota, is known for a particular
type of flat basket ware, and its Tuesday market attracts
buyers from Colombo. Kalutara is famous for its colourful,
soft basketry and at Basket Hall weavers can be seen
taming unyielding palm fronds, turning them into purses,
coasters, hats and other items.
At several places on the island, natural caves, with
their inscriptions, provide some idea of what the very
first monasteries were like. These sparsely adorned
shelters carved into the rock were conducive to a life
of meditation. The monastery of Vesagiriya, to the south
of Anuradhapura, and the caves of Mulgirigala, to the
north of Tangalle, are good examples of these austere,
rocky retreats.
Generously endowed by the sovereigns, the monasteries
built in Anuradhapura gradually helped to shape the
architectural structure of these places devoted to community
life. The religious buildings - the Bo tree, reliquary
monument (stupa or dagoba) and its chapel, and the image
hall - stood inside a protective inner wall. The community
buildings were laid out within an external wall where
the monastic cells, the refectory, the dispensaries,
the wells and the pools were situated. Only the architectural
form and the scale of the buildings have changed over
the years. Today's monasteries retain the same basic
layout, though the architecture is more subdued, with
pink tiled roofs and whitewashed walls dating from the
Kandyan period.
All the art of ancient Sri Lanka is pervaded by a love
of nature, which finds its most eloquent expression
in the form of ornamental gardens, majestic compositions
created with the aim of pleasing royalty or providing
environments suited to monastic meditation.
Monasteries were generally established on parkland
endowed by grateful benefactors. The gardens of these
ancient monasteries have not survived to the present
day, but from ruins of certain monasteries and the spatial
layout of this "open" architecture, it is
easy to imagine the harmony that existed between the
monks and their surroundings.
Sri Lanka also boasts examples of gardens conceived
for the pleasure of kings. The "Park of the Goldfish"
at Anuradhapura and the terraced gardens at Sigiriya
are among the most ancient in the world. These artificial
landscapes combine the fantasy of outcrops of natural
rock with man-made pavilions and pools, linked by water.
Transported in channels or stored in reservoirs, water
is used to create subtle plays of waterfalls or streams,
bringing life and freshness to this recreation of nature.
Stalls all over Sri Lanka are laden with textiles of
an infinite variety, from gaudy batik sarongs to delicate
lacework. The ubiquitous batiks vary enormously in quality,
price and colour - from two-toned sarongs ideal for
the beach to detailed works of art.
Batik is the main stay of the tourist textile industry
on the island and it is still made using the age-old,
time-consuming process of carefully applying wax to
fabric before dying. After each dying stage, the fabric
must be fixed, washed of the old wax, and then more
wax applied for the next dying. In this way, the pictures
gradually develop in colour washes, working from light
to dark as more fabric is exposed to the dyes.
Hand-loom weaving has inevitably become almost entirely
superseded by fast machines, although a few contemporary
designers keep a small cottage industry alive.
Introduced by the Portuguese, intricate handmade pillow-lace
may be found in Galle, Colombo and Jaffna. Lace-making
involves hours of painstaking work to produce just a
few centimetres of lace. Today only the older generation
seems to have the patience for such time-consuming work,
the younger women preferring the speed of machinery
to the laborious art of drawing and knotting threads.
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