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The last kingdom takes its stand
The walk through history is complete as the Kandy Gallery opens at the Colombo National Museum
By Ayesha Inoon
The glorious era of the Kandyan Kingdom will be represented in all its splendour, as the Colombo National Museum opens its new Kandy Gallery on November 9. From the famous throne that seated kings from Wimaladarmasuriya to Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe, to the numerous lovely artefacts, the gallery is a tribute to the rich heritage bequeathed by the last stronghold of the local kings, which continues to be the cultural capital of Sri Lanka today.

The gallery is the brainchild of Professor Leelananda Prematilake, Head of the Department of Archaeology at Peradeniya University, who was also the driving force behind the Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura galleries which were opened in January and February this year. He has also been responsible for the establishment of museums at Polonnaruwa, Kandy and Dambulla.

Prof. Prematilake says that his intention was to arrange the galleries on the ground floor in such a manner as to give the novice in local history a complete journey through the past of Sri Lanka. Thus, a visitor to the museum is first taken through the pre and proto historical periods, leading to the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa eras, the transitional period or the period of instability between the Polonnaruwa and Kandy periods and ultimately the age of the final kingdom, Kandy.

The upper floors, he says, he hopes to arrange in a thematic sequence, where one can have an in-depth look into the aspects that had been introduced in the galleries below. Here there will be more sculptures, paintings, ornaments, jewellery and the like, giving the viewer a clearer understanding of the variety and richness of the times of yore.

Trilingual information panels and neatly arranged artefacts ensure that the visitor is able to have a comprehensive experience of the grandeur of Lanka’s civilisation. The new display systems and state-of-the-art lighting systems greatly augment the beauty of the artefacts, as well as contribute to the viewing pleasure of the visitors to the gallery.

Professor Prematilake says that artefacts of the Kandy Period, also known as the medieval period, can be identified by the lack of classical smoothness in the sculptures and paintings, when contrasted with earlier periods.
The relics, which include ornaments of ivory, brassware, silverware and Buddhist and Hindu images among others, are a testament to the skilled workmanship and magnificent creativity of the time.

A tiny scale made of ivory, which belonged to King Rajasinghe I, was meant to weigh very fine, expensive medicines, such as musk. There are also ivory combs, carved with images such as Cupid and his arrows, a mother nursing her baby or lovers, which, Professor Prematilake says is bound to the fertility culture of the time. It was the tradition for a bridegroom to present such a comb to his bride-to-be.

Other fascinating objects include kitchen utensils such as sweetmeat moulds and spoon hangers, sculptures, painted pottery and statues. The huge sword belonging to King Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe and numerous other weapons are also on display.

The refurbishment of the Post-Polonnaruwa/Pre-Kandy and Kandyan Kingdom Galleries was sponsored by HSBC, Sri Lanka, which also sponsored the refurbishment of the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Galleries. This Rs. 4 million initiative by the bank aims to preserve the rich cultural and historical heritage of the country, and hopes that it will encourage other members of the corporate sector to do likewise.

The past is the key to the future, and as we seek to rebuild our nation from the many traumas of recent times, it would be worthwhile to take a look into bygone eras to learn lessons from our history and discover how we came to be who we are today.

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