Browse Archive Items (21 total)

Two female stick dancers (li-keli)

Description: A popular dance form in which women took part in the Kandyan period is stick-dancing or ‘li-keli’. Originally from an 18th century building at Hanguranketa, Sri Lanka, this relief carving of two stick-dancers can be seen at the National Museum in Colombo.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha

A female dancer

Description: Positioned at the bottom of a door jamb, is this dancer, from the Ridi Vihare in the Kurunegala district, Sri Lanka. Carved in ivory, it can be dated to the Kandyan period.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha

A female dancer

Description: Belonging to the 17th century A.D., the female dancer is a conspicuous element in temple decor. Dancers are among the numerous females carved on the wooden pillars of the Ambakke devalaya, Sri Lanka. This particular dancer is carved on a cross beam supporting the roof of the temple.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha

Male and female dancers

Description: A frieze of dancers of the 16th century A.D. is this exhibit which is at the Colombo National Museum. It was originally carved on the face of a raised platform at Horana, Sri Lanka. The female dancer at the centre displays a very acrobatic stance.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha

Male and female dancers and musicians

Description: This is a section from a carving found on a building at Kotte, Sri Lanka. Here men and women take there place in a procession dancing and playing musical instruments as well as displaying other skills. The relief carving which belongs to about the 16th century is on display at the Colombo National Museum.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha

Male and female dancers and musicians at a Buddhist temple

Description: Dancers and musicians, both male and female are a familiar decorative device used to embellish door-frames in the post-Polonnaruva period. An extremely good example belonging to the 14th century A.D. can be seen at the Galapatha Vihare near Bentota in Galle (District) Sri Lanka.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha

Female dancers at a Buddhist temple

Description: This is a frieze of female dancers from the Niyangampaya temple, close to Gampola in Kandy District.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha

Female dancers at a Buddhist temple

Description: Common to many Buddhist temples of the post-Polonnaruva period is a procession of dancers and musicians carved in relief between the plinth and mouldings of the shrine. This frieze of female dancers is from the 14th century temple at Gadaladeniya near Gampola.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha

Female drummers and dancers

Description: Of a somewhat later date, but belonging to the same art tradition as at Yapahuva, Sri Lanka, are the relief carvings of drummers and dancers at the Ganegoda temple in Alavatura in the Kegalle district, Sri Lanka. These sculptures can be dated to the 14th century.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha

Female dancers on ornamental windows

Description: On either side of the entrance porch at Yapahuva are two ornamental windows in which female dancers are used as decorative motifs. The stone window with this and other decorative motifs is presently stored in the Yapahuva Archaeological Museum.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha