Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting

Mother goddess

Mother goddessess

Terra-cotta figurines--Archaeological Museum, Anuradhapura--Sri Lanka

Among the earliest religious concepts associated with agricultural societies is the worship of the Mother Goddess, an ideology which cuts across many cultures. This image of the Mother Goddess from Killinochchi, Sri lanka, presently in the Archaeological Museum at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, represents a religious belief which is thought to date back to pre-Buddhist times. Provided with a ledge for offerings, it is one of the larger size images found in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, none of the terra-cotta images of the Mother Goddess have been found in a datable context. Archaeologists believe that the cult worship of the Mother Goddess belongs to a wide span of time from ca. 4th century B.C. to the 12th century A.D.

Sirima Kiribamune

Archeological Museum, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

4th-12th century A.D.

Period of study: 1986-1987

Version: 01/12/2012

Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha

Technical Officer: Wijesinghe, Lalith

Technical Assistant: Jayasundare, Subhashini

Photographer: Madanayake, I.S.

International Center for Ethnic Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation

American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies, Colombo

All rights reserved by International Center for Ethnic Studies, Sri Lanka.

Forms part of Photographic documentation of Women as depicted in early Sri Lankan sculpture and painting / Slide in present collection

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