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Browse Items in Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting (166 total)
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
Collection: Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting
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
Collection: Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting
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
Collection: Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting
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
Collection: Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting
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
Collection: Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting
Pancanarighata, five acrobatic women in the form of a pot
Description: The pancanarighata, or ‘5 women pot’ is a symbolic formation of women in various acrobatic stances. Adorning the lintel of a wooden doorway at the Dippitiya Vihare in the Kegalle district, Sri Lanka, is this pancanarighata. It is a popular decorative device of 18th century A.D. Kandy.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha
Collection: Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting
Pancanarighata, five acrobatic women in the form of a pot
Description: This elaborate stone carving of a pancanarighata, can be seen near the Vishnu devale at Hanguranketa, Sri Lanka.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha
Collection: Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting
Navanarikunjara, nine women combination in the form of an elephant
Description: The combination of nine women in the form of an elephant forms part of the repertoire of the Kandyan painter and this example is from the ceiling of the lower storey of the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha
Collection: Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting
The female in erotic art
Description: The female in erotic art: It is noteworthy that eroticism is not a pervasive phenomenon in early Sri Lankan art and extreme forms of it are very few and far between. Rather more frequent are amorous couples, usually described as mithuna figures.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha
Collection: Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting
Erotic art
Description: Associated with Buddhist Tantric ritual is this sculpture of the male and female in an erotic posture, carved on the outside wall of the 8th century A. D., Nalanda Gedige, Sri Lanka.
Contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha
Collection: Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting
