JOURNAT,, R.A.S.

(CDYLON)

[Vor. XIX

No. 57..--1906.

SINHAL}]SE

.\.R,T.

soME suRvtvALs II{ SIilHALESE'* ART.

By ANanoe K. Coolren,rsrv,tlrv,
1),Sc.

Iiandyan Districts a hundred years ago resembled in manv u'avs the life of media:val Europe, and one may gather froru w-hat' remains of the social organizatiort of triat time a more vivid realisation of mediipval England than years of study in England alone would give. Thus, the village communities were still to the fore a hunclred years ago, largely
denocratic and communistic in principle in other respects, tr.:ro, ; the l{imdagarii,a reminds one of an English Manor, the Gam,a,.
rrila, corresponding to theBajliff, and the Vel_ui,rJci,rza or village headmen to the English Prrcpositus. Moreover, there was no class of free agricultural labourers worhing for hire; all land

of the art and life of medireval England, but not much of early Indian life and art. I found that life in the

tr,rts and crafts and the liincl of life that lay behind thern, having tr, litile knowledge

f srt;an the study of Kandyarr

t
I

in the hand.s of Moorish to,ualarn merchants who brought their goods on pack bulls. The Sir;halese, though in part a nation of skilful craftsmen, have never been a .. nation of shopkeepers,,, and, like other Eastern nations, regarded it as a degradation to work for hire; wherein they dicL well, inasmuch as the hired. labourer-whether an English farm labourer or a Civil Ser_ vant in fndia-can never have the absolute ind.ependence of

is still true even of the craftsrnan castes. The sight of many men working together in the fields or chenas and chanting over. their labour recalls the ,. n'aire feicleful of folke ,, of piers plowman. There was not much foreign tracle, and that little was

to

ditary craftsmen in many a prosperous village produced the beautiful and straightforward work of which no more than the wreckage now survives. So I was delighted by this revivified irnage of the rnedi:eval England that was known and dear
me.

a perfectly free man. Books existed onl;, in manuscript form ; e\ren now & strange feeling of rernoteness is felt when one hears that such and such a man owns some rare unprinted book of which perhaps few or no other copies remain. Then, too, here-

not ow'-ned outright .lvas held on a service tenure. Although there was no approach to political equality, the security of tenure and general stability of social relations were very mark_ ed ; the caste system uphelct the former. for men of high caste couid not and would not o.wn or reoeive lands to which a low caste rnan's service was attached; and it proiluced the latter bv rernoving the possibility of social ambition. The vast majority of people cultivated the soil with their own hands that ; J .* this term in preference to l(andyan, in ord.er to ar.oid :,]i:-g unncessar.y and misleading distinctions between difieront ::1-tl:":_:tthe S-irrhalese peoplo; nevertholess mostof my remarks only to the Kandyan districts. wliore alone Sirrhalese art has II,III'
L
ooon p1ato"*-"4

tr:icks of craftsmanship that must have been hancled down from early Aryan times, and can be traced back to early work in Northern India, whence history tells us th.e ,, Lion race ,, of
Ceylon actuallv carne
,r

see behind these obvious survivals and analogies of medireval times the traces o{ still earlier days-survivals from a remoter periocl-habits of thought and

But after a time I tregan to

and patterns whose history is even more

ncient.

in any quantitl..

We may remark also that the Kandyan village economy in principle from the village of ".orrorrry Northern India two thousand years ago (see Rhys Davids, " tsuddhist India,," ch. 3, ancl Sir John Budcl phear, ,,Aryan
difiered very little

We shall find that a study of the decorative fonns surviving in Sinhalese art tends to support the historical account of the Silhalese as a Northfndianrace, and of the subsequent intercourse between North India and Cevlon in the time of Asoka.

t+ \.i]la,ges

.r{iuRNA r,, R,.a.s. (cEYr,oN)

f\ror,.

,\L\

No. 57.-j fXt6.l

anade in both peculiarities.
,il ,rt

India, nritl Oeyion "). Moreover, " bhe Bible and Homer ancl the Greek poets generally are f ull bt iavUi. scenes frorri tlre life of aricient Greece, Syria, and Egypt, whjch are still the conrmonplace of the dailylife of the natives of Inc'Lra,,

il

s[Nll.4i.,t]so Ali"f.

7i
techtric:rl

in

respect

of general style and of

of Europearr civilization" (Sir Geor:ge Birdwood). It v'ill accordingly be obvious that all India a,nd Cevlon a,re full of surviv:rls of the past; but in the present l]aper T siiall trv to trace only the history of sotne that are specialiy characteristic
who have lived apar:t from the corruptions
of l(andvana,rt,. Sirlhaleso arir and culture have an especial inter:est and value, for in tliem may be found a survival of t'he Aryan past and of the "Early Indian" or "InrloI'ersian" a,i:tistic traditions more free from laber Puranic and Mohammedan influence than anywhere in India itself. Ceylon is one of those islands (other such are Iceland and trreland) rvJrich have preservecl jn considerablepurity an earlier stratum of thought ancl an eallier artistic tr:adition tha r anv survivinq on the neighbouring continents. n'or this preservation of what is elsewhere lost lye owe these peoples mucir, for otherwise the worid lvould be vas{,ly poolrer in interest and icleals. I shail now proceed to :r, more detailed comparison of t,he characteristics of l8th century Sirlhalese (Kanclyan) art wjth tlre :r,rt of the Bhlrhut sculptures. The sculptures of Bharhut are faithfui pictures of Norttr Indian life and thought-mainly Buildhistic, it is true, but essentially Ind,i,an none the less-in the second centurv B.c. The sculptures represent real Tndian art at its purest and best before direct Greek infl uence affected figure sculpture, and will I hope inspire the " pre-Idaphaelites " of the " Indian revival " of the future. Let us compare sorne of its minor characteristics with what mav be seen in Kandvan

l$

li

these rosettes or Iotuses are called mala (flower). ancl are

distribul,ion of liglit ancl sjiade on tjre surface (see fig. g from Plate IX. of Ounningha,m's Bharhut Stupa). We find the very same lotuses used in just the same way in Kandyan paintings ;

rlisposal, avoiding any unihre appearance of relief, and emphasizing the decorative nature of the work. rf we examine the Bharhut sculptures we shall see several examples of spaces occupied bv sculptured lotuses, not an essential part of the design, but introduced to fiII up the space ancl equalize the

Ail artists concernecl pr.imarily witl-r Cecartttiae aft, are inrpressed with the necessity of filling eveniy the space at their

,Degaldomwa)*. We rnaynote in passingthat similar rosettes are used in the same way elsewhere, as for example in early

here and there wJrerever an unsightly gap woulcl otherrvise occur; they have no organic relation to the rest, of tiie picture (for examples see Iig. 2 frorn .Danagirigaia and fig. B from

put in

Greek painting (see per:cy Gardner, .,Grammar of Greeli .\rt," flg. 45).
Amongst, the iotus nlerlallions of Birariiut which have parallels in medieval Sirlhaiese work there are some in whicir

mural paintings of the eigli|eenth century-e,g., tliose at Dana"oiriga.la* and Degaldoruwa.t Thls comparison will be

See Rell, ,. Rcport on the l(6galla Distlict," p. 48. 1' See La,r'rie, ., Contral Province Gazctteerr,,' p. l3T.

turned in one direction, right or left, around the centre (seo iigs. 4and 5, Cunningham,s Bharhut Stupa, pl. XXXV[I).; irr others the same forms can be recognized, but the cobra heads are so much more conventionalized that recognition would be difificult without the other type to guide us (see fig. 6 h:om Cunningham's pl. XXXVIII.). It is worthy of note that the evolution from cobras,heacls topurely conventional forms had alreailv taken place at Bharhut and the mor.e ; conventional type alone survives in Kandyan art (see fig. I l'rom wall paintings at Danagirigala ; the same form occllrs
*
Sce T-au'ric,

the outer whorl of petals is replaced by cobra heads, all

,, (teritra,l Frovjnee Grazetteer,,' p. l3T,

,-iouR\:tl-. R"-\.S.

(clryl.oN).

[Vor,. XIX"

IiOYAt,,\sI-A.ltIc soOIU,U\', c_uyl,oti.

,llso at Degaldorurva. Ridi Vihare, and elsewhere). The iarnre conventionalized cohras' heads appear on L carved

'*

ll
o

= o
c)
(d

oilP

F{

-cts

m+ ,ti ; c?ii ar
(tv cco on a 5 + J

-O

lrK*HilK:ffiffi'ri

ti
t,l

I)
L'

1l

table in the author's possessio,rr a,nd also in bhe border of an tutirroidered betelbag (pt. I.. fig.3: see also fig. f7. Tt iviltr

PL"\TII ]

DE:I-IILS

F K,\}i DY]r-\: NM]IfiOI DtsRY.

t
( t

No"

57.*l90O.l

STNHALESN .!TI,T.

Ile seen later that a form almost indistiuguislial:le frorn this is derived frorn a conventional arrangement of lotus leaves ,,,r petals (palmette) (seefgs.7,9, ll, &c., and pl. L, figs. I anrl 2), hut tirese are arranged syn-rmetrically aboub a central upright line, while the cobra-forms are forms found in ri continuous series of similarly orienl,ed elernents (see figs. 4 rl nncl Pl. I., fig. 3B). I{ rLow we compa,re the llirarhut sculptures arid the Karrd.ytr,n

paintings as regards style and treatment of the subject ma,tter, we sliall lincl that the conventions <if the ancient and modern

artists are close akin. The ancient method of ,,continuous

narra,tion" is eclually characteristic of each, i.e., the story is tolcl by repeating the same charactels again and again in the sarne lricture or panel, performing successively the actions proper to the story. The whole picture also is brought into one plane, and there is little or no attempt, at perspective. A deiiglrt, jrr ahnost microscopic detail, as for example in the delineation of costume, feathers on birds, and the like, is

apparent in both schools, The representation of tree.q is very characteristic; the sculptur:ed trees of Bharhut and

the painted trees of the Kandyan vihara have much in comrnon. ln both. cases the tree is unmistakable-not by reason of

a naturalistic realism, but in conse(luence of the prominenc*., given to the distinguishing features, the emphasis laicl.
were, upon the icleal form of the tree. It is not any palticular tree that is drau,-n or carved, but a representation of the generalized image of the tree in the artist's mind, based on previous irnpressions gatherecl alrnost unconsciouslv from manv such trees seen by the artist. It is di{ficult to imagine the artist
as

it

rlrarving ilirect from the modei, human or vegetable; liis stvle is traditional and conventional and represonts, not individuul things, but the notionof such thingsin general formed in the artist's mind. The human interest of such worh is very great, we see thelvorld tlrrough the very eyes of the Bhar.hut a,nri .Kanciyu,n people in a r.vay that no irnpersonal and realistio reyrresentation would enable us to rlo. .Afte.r all, this is the

7il

J0t.r.RNAr,,

rii,.A's (cE\.{-oN)

{Vor,. XdX^

)'io. 57.--t9tt{;.1

st\ l{.{Lltslt ,ili'l'.

;!f
t

triril of all ru,t -to lhe artist's

'o h'or, dorr'l, yott

a,rvaken iD

tile

trtrirolr.lc| urltoLiorl hintlrecl tc,

0{ tirat, serious jc}e:r,lisnt wliic}r appea,|s u.ith. Iirtlo-Alyair tr,rt' irr general. '\11

t0

|r.,

to

lro

li.ssotriate,

Perlraps a lrundrnd tinles, rrol cared to see I And so they are bebter. paintec{-bobter to us' Which is thc samc thing. .Alt, rvas given for thab'"

r'vo'rc rilu,tit: so tlrtr't lve lc;vc lrirslt rvhen we see bhorn 1:tr,inbcd, t'hirrgs wt> have passod

ma|k.

this lias a bearing on the histoty o{ Sirllrailuse irlt \\'t' liar.e seen l,herein :r survival of thc conventions a'rld idea'ls 'rf the early Inclian or Indo-Pei:sia,n scl1ool ; tr'nd trorv we tltav |erfet'
b|iefly to the Sigiri paintings (neither theso, nor I:.anclyilrt trruta'l ") considerecl {rorn this poiilt ol P;r.intings ate }eallv " frescoeri vtew. The Sigiri pairrtings are ns different flom tlie Kanrlyari ilr style as zrre those of Aj:r,nta from the sculptures of Bhar]iut. 'lliie impressionist, element irr therrr is eclually foreign to thtr rall of Bhariiut ancl t',1 tlie a'rL of the Sighalese' We do

Wc- rnust not, lrowever. lirinh tlltlt thcse peculiarit'ies of style iir early art, are d.elibera,te; they rrrc just the naNural result of the artist's attempt to picture tlfngs as he secs thcm' \Ve :niay gather frorn suclt irrt. and frrrrl tlte tr'r't of Meclireval llulope, a notion of the '\ry:in ivorlitltti.tt's chiidlike serioosness ancl simnlicity that carlnotr fail to toucir us' On the other hir,nd, u,e find in l'fongolian, espcciall.yirr Japtr,rreser, art what &ppea'rs

not find in these paintings of Ajanta arid Sigiri {in

of the grace
i
;r,nr1

spit'e

t-Lltl appreciation of cleal fonrr and line that

[o be an original:rnd spontaneotts impressjonisrn tenclirrg rather

l,o superficiality than seriousness' The Aryan or Semitic artist clrevr what he knew ol inrrrgined, tlie Mongolia,n drew
rvhat he
sa,rv.

Things are otlierr.vise a,rnong-st' the civilized, sophisticated n:r,tions of modet:n times, where liier tr,rtist is surrounded by (cgfivls"i and thcre can lie no onc examples of every sort of nationalstyie appealing equally to all merr; nor is it possible tliat the realistic, or irnpressionist styies rvhitrh rnost directly represent the tendencies of modern life in its mecha'nical and super' ficial aspects, can have the seriousness and calnr to be found in the less conscious and often also less technically perfect art of earlier periods, when the soci:r,l structul'e was not in a state of rapid evolution, but remained for: long periods relatively .qta.hle" 'Ihe modern artist then ha's io r:hoose his methods rvith the deliberate intention of expressing hirnself in the particular rl-ay desired, and rnust use his mind and bvain h cleli' berrtl,ely avoiding what is unsuitable to his purpose or to tb.e hinci o1. work in hand. Ali this t'ire primitive artist does uncon' sciously. Nou. t'hat the Kandyarr irrtist, is no more, it is _well to lav some stress on the survival, in eighteerith cent'ury work at least," of liri.s absence r.rf self con-*ciousuess. ancl the presence

latter) t'ha't love of fine detail :-r're seen in These consiileralir.ndyan paintings ancl _Bharhut, sculptures. tiritts alone tr,pl)e:lr'to nre sufficient to prove tirat' the Sigiri prrrintings were uot executed bJ' " I(andyan " artists ; it is irirpossible to belier.e that lhe sigiri ar:tisls ca,n ha.,-e been eitliet tl,ie lineal clescendants of painters of the earlv Tntlian school, ol the ancostors of those of the Kandyln school' I carl lrarrlly doubt that :r, school of rnural painting existecl at Illtarhut, r-rnrl thclt it r'vzls in s1,yle ancl feeling close akin to the $'oti< in it' is -rtorre (itself a repla.cement of earlier'' wotk irl wood) : anil I.ith some such ea|lv school of rnural painting rather than rvith ther work at Ajantn ol Sigiri. the Kandya[ paintings nlust' be
elegance of the
ri.ssociated.

/1

\\renlustnow return to t;he.mole detailecl studl'and cotlr' Fer'liaps the rnost st'riking l)ir,fison of particular patterns. is that of a particuiirr t-\'j-rr' rrf a|nrlet. srLrr-ival that I hnorv of oil PXates 21-23 of cunningham's Bharliut lltr"qra wiil btl forrrrd figures of various male beings, wetriug tlie heroic ga|b of India, viz.. turbtr'n, shilwl, ancl c'[hoti: all tlear', beside otiier jewellery,a, peculilr :irtnlet (fig' ]0)' crittsisting of arl onramented band supporting ornamented flab pla'tes shaped litrie a " Fleur cle lYs " or 'o Prince of Wales' feathels '' ('' lralnrette " orrzl,nlent). l{orv, if we exi'frnirre a be:r'utifull.v

g0

Jor,rn,NAL. ft._.r.s. (oDr:r,oN).

[Vor,.

XIX.

No. 57.-l9tl6.l

STNHALNSE A}iT.

8l

worked devil dancer's dress in the Oolornbo Museum (s.re ?late 1., fig. l), we shall find the verJr same type of annl*i

!:; 13

a
{.:

:c

:
tr

', 'I

.a! O:r
c .l:
(J .e rli ,i:
j{

.^1'

::.

ic
C)
i

:l!

.t

eurbloidered on tire sleeve. Sucli specitrl resemblances ir: tb rninor details of costurne support the conclusions derivercl from rnol'e general consid.erabion.q.

The sur,i'ivrrl of a peculiar fonn of :rrmlet is in it,self significant, enough ; but the form of it raiscs i,he question of ', pa1r-'rctte." ol " honeys*ckle', patterns. anilthep.ssibilities rif Gre,:liish influence. The "palmette,, Greekhoneysuckle is uylrs of a series of decor:ative forms which have a verlr long :r,nd intercsting history; including the " Irleur de lys,, and rhe :lenaissallce "shell," they often alternate with another r,lernent in nhat are known as "knop and flower,, patterns, fol a short, account of r,vliich the last chapter of Sir George l.]irdwootl's " Industrial Arts of India " may be consulted. The ea,rliest forms of these patterns ate found in Egyptian art, ihe " tr'Ieur de lyr " Iotus forms (see tr'Iinclers petrie's '' Egyptian Decorative Art"). The Grecian forms themselves are developments of borrowings from Egypt (or Assyria), r"lirough the Fhrenians and Mykenre; the early fnclian and ;l'lso tlie Sirihalese forms are likewise in the last analysis trace:rirle to Egypt tlrrough Assyria. As to the date of tlie borr,ow_ rng, it -will be recalled that it is generalJy considered that .;r.riting r,l'as introcluced into India from lemitic sources nofi long before Asoka's time, and it is reasonable to suppose that ivith the .;r.riting sculptured on. stone, the associated cleco_ ;:rtive fol'nls were also introduced. There is no necessity for postulating a, direct Greek origin for any of these patterns, ,i,'hich would follor.v bheir own line of development from llgvpt through Mesopotarnia and finally into persia and Iudia ; at the same tiine tlie possibility of Greek influence is i.ry no means excluiled, as there was, after tlie 6th ancl 7th irenturies n.c., considerable intercourse between (,lreece ancl Persia ti,nd between Greece and Northern India in the time of -{}exander. It is difficult to avoid regarding such a pati,s'r11 as that shown in figure tr7 as evidence of Greek influence ; iecause it is a specimen of rvhat the Germans call fortla,ufend,e ,uellenronket i.e., an arrangement of decorative vegetable .riernents on botli sicles of a continuous wavy line connecting

iltem.

Norv this method of associating decorative elements on

:i

cs11finu6,us

undulating steni is first met rvith in }lykenaan

.13-0Lt

82

JouriNAL, R'A.S. (cEYLON)'

Vor,.

XII

No. 57.-I906.1

SINHALTSE ART.

It3

clcooration innd

lvas fully cleveloped in the x'ell-knorv:: absent in DgypNian and old G|ecian forms ; but it is quite ancl so canrlot ha\-!'-Oriental (Ass;rrian, &c') decorative art' It would be difflcult t'; leached India by way of Assyri:-r' and developmeni exaggerate the importance of itil discovery and Rornan' lfedi for it became of supreme value in Greek

buildings ancl their elaborate decoration, a ncw irnpulse ra'as given to the indigenous art,s, and ne'n- elements added to tirern ; just as the Christian rnissionaries of St. Patricli'-u time spread a knowledge of writing in Ireland and replaced the purely native decorative art by an art based on the
l3yzantine.

art, and remains so stili" ,eval a,nd sa,racenic, and Renaissance characte' It is typically developed' at Bharliut; it is also a be studied in the it' can istic feature in Si,.'halese art, where singll patt'erns' of rn4rich figure 1? is a various creeper (wel'a) obviouslv palmelte example selected on account' of the I am inclined to '-egarri character of the floratr elements' Greek element in Sirrhalesi' triis well,enranke as a specifically art 'lf art, and as we meet with it in the Inrlo'Persian tftrr-'e piat'e XI')' to Bharhut (Cunningham's Bharhut Stupa' and' Persia ant'errior tc-' it back to intercourse between Greece History of Persia';r the christian era (see Perrot and chipiz, "

Art,"

of Gre'--ial A92),o1'more probably to the period' to Alexancter's conclue'rfs influence in North lndia sulosequent could hardiy have reacileitr' about 300 e.c. Tliis Greek influence
1892,

p.

\Ve have finaily a still later period of Greek influence to consicler. In the early sculptures, representations of Buddha, u'ere quite unknown ; early Buddhist artists represented the found.er of their religion by symbols only.* The first figures of Buddha appear in the Gandhdra sculptures (by artists of what is known as the Grreco-Bucldhist school) in the extreme north-west of India. These works lvere executecl bet'weerr the lst, and 5th centuries A.D., \vhile Buddhism still flourishecl in India ; they show clean traces of Greek, Roman, and even Lllu'istian influence. o'The ideal type of Buddha was created ior tluddhist art by foreigners " (Griinwedel, " Buddhist Art in Inclia "). TheseGandhi,ratypeswere the founclation of all later lepresentations of Buddha, rvhether in Burma, China,
or Cevlon.

the evolution cf India before the departure of Vijaya' for far prer'-ious li'; Greek decorative art had not, progressetl.very to guid'e rs *; I'l the 5th century r'c' We have no remains the vijayan immigrants' r'r'iif'' the actual artistic capatiilities of

It

may be that some of the decorative patterns of

tlte cultivai cr' by the way, are **ia t" have becn all of to t'he pe-iioii caste. It is therefore reasonable to t'race tlL'

of Buddh'isru' of Asokan influence and- the int'r:odu'ction :r're recognizable r'i introcluction of whatever Greek elements sirould trace to ilrl' Bharhut,' It rnay be incleecl blial' we

the foreigners t'ravelled with t'he new type o{ figure sculpture. lJut a,s most of the decorative motifs under consider:ation, as well as particular modes of associating them (wellenran,lce, &c.). are already found at, Bharhut, it is unnecessary t'o assign their' introduction to this later period of stronger classical in{luence. We may however safely say that -"v}ratever traces of Greek influence already existed were liketrv to be strengtlit,ned and reinforcecl at the later period of classical influence ,.rn figure sculpture. The lat'est period of indirect Greek
irrfluence on Indian an:t,, viz., at second-hand through the -\loharnrneilan conquests, left Ceylon, or at any rate the Silhalese, untouched. Refore leaving the question of Greek influence, we maY remarli that it is possible to attach undue importance to thc r' 'flne
t

decorat'fi-e elernet't':. period the origin of most of t'he vegeta'ble ju*i

in

may have bl :'rtgi'i rvhat.decorative art' motifs the Vijayans t' i:!11 " r,vith them or ftlunil amongsttheil'borigin*lYakkhas' (r' ri: rri' late wecannot doubt thatwith Asoka's missionaries by cta: sitirr;) specifically statecl t'o have been accornpanied of mag iiiii:rltt ancl the result,ing irnpulse t'o the erection

Sir.rhalese

art' We are hardlv in a position to sa

Mahd,wo,zsd account

of the

R,tratrr-eli relit' chambcr cannot

ttr.lt'fore be contemporaneous.

rt

!)

84

Jou R\-\L, R,.A.S. (cEYLON).

fVor,.

XIX.
IiOYAL ASIATIC SOCII]TY, OiiYI,ON.

with them than tlreek patterns because we are more familiar pointed out rvith those of the other nations of antiquity. As

so much as cert'ain above, it is not, the actual decorat'ive moti{s to Greece' nrodes of associq,ting them that are traceable other Indian Before returning to Ce;'lqv1 we may notice one viz., the clecoration otLineltit (1605 I'l') at Allaha-

example,

bad

Archifig. 13, from Ferguson's " Inclian and Eastern lotus ancl palmette tecture"), as it shows, in addition to the common in forms, the real and bead pat'tern r'vhich is also Ceylon (see Plate I., fig. 3 D)'
(see

.oM trirt La ar,r,AHABAD'

ll,eturning now t'o Ceylon, we shall find

patterns *r" 1u.. rare than at

Lo."rr", is significant" The following

is a list of a few " pat'terns comparable unmistakable examples of " pahnett'e Bharhut: the with the forms (figs. 10, ll, 12) occurring at' described; the embroidered armlet' (Plate I', fig' 1) already
bag

Bharhut'*

palruett'e " Their actual existence

that "

an embroidered betel aknost identical pat'tern on the border of

a characterist'ic form (Plate II' and found on Kandyan eaves-tiles of recent make termed {ig. la)-this is an example of what has been palmette, and is suggestii'e of gigendarr'di'ge lotus-bluth unil Museum (one Greek influence; some very similar tiles in the

in my

possession (Plate

I', fig' 3);

minor ,1. It must be takon into consideration that if examples of tho the arts survived from BhJut, it worilcl be mr-rch easier to comparo modern llandyan pat'terns witft tftos" founil t'here; our knowledgo of if wehadto confine ourselvos Sinhalese patternswould t tu"y limited
t,o the study of work

E.M,C. photo.

PI,AT]'

II

KA1\-DYAN EAVIS.TIIIJ.

" in stone.

No. 57.-1906.1

SINHALESE

AR,'I'.

85

[reing labelled Dambadeniya, 1235 a,.o.) ; the carving on ii, rtulu,rcl hiramane (coconut scraper, fig. lb) in tlie Colombo \{useum; the form shown in fig. 9 from an ola booh cover;

DECORAI|ION FRO},I AN OLA I]OOE COVI]]R.

DSICOR,ATION OIT

A GTIEEIt

:I]ETi\/TT{OS

17

t,lre sgraffito decoration (fig.

^ Kclaniya; and lastly the pattern shown in fig. 18 from a iac-painted stick of recent manufacture. All these examples

t7) tf

k*l:n:,.*^;;"

*t,

are Kandyan, except the hala,getliqa and possibiy the hi,rctm,ane, rvhich are low,country; nany others coulcl be pointecl to.

S(;

;ounNAL, R.,{.s.

(cEyLoN). [Vol. XIX.

), o. i17.'--111(Xi

S]NilAI,.ESI] AII,T.

87

Iligure 17 already referred to iras a very Greek asPect ; figure 16 sho"w-s the ornament of a Greeh lekythos (frorn .Pr'ofessor Percv Gardner's " Grammar of Greek Art," 1905), for coniparison x'ith itr" Of the pattern of figure 18 .Pro{essor' (,iardner tells nte that it " is very difierent in character flom (]reek tvurli, far less sirnple and logical." It is in more than one respect reminiseent of Assyria. Another patl,ern I have not yet leferred to is that shown in figure 19 (p. 8{f) rvhich represents the sirnpiest form (taken from a piece of Karrd.Jrari painted perttery) of the common " pine:r,pple " lrtr,t,telr

ii arrd.van
ir1ants.

alt

.t,o

be regarded as actual representa.tions of thoso

ll'irere is, horvever, one plant <trnament of indigerious or,igirr

t8

i,1[ A I{ANDYAN I,AC-PAINITED STIC]'.

rvith acaritlliform foh'age, recalling the forms of late Italiau ;lnd early lienaissance brocades, rvhich Sir George Birdrvoocl (loc. cit.) thinlis a,re of Assyrian origin. It sliould be hardlv necessar.y fo mention that to suppose that anv of these fonns" such as this pineapple, the Greeli honeysuckle, or palmebte, or even the .r.vell-kno'lvn acanthus, represent deliberate pictures
of the plants r.vhose narnes they bear, .lvould be a great mistake.

example even the acanthus, which used to be utiversally regarcled as a representation of the acanthus planl,: thc Vitruvius anecclote whicli claims for it this origin is now rega,r'dcd as rnythicai, for the evolution of the ,. acanthus " fronr cert,ain types of the " palmette " has been clearly tracecl (see " Stilfragen,,' bv Alois Riegl, I3erlin, lg0b, p. XV., and p. 24ll seq.). Still les-* nre the a,canthus or pineapple forms in

ilo take for

if not purely Silhalese: I refer t6 tlre and the innumcr:a,ble different representationg of it, ri iull account of rvhich rvould alone fill many lrages. Tire 1)r11,lino of tlre li:indyan eaves-tile shotvn on Plate If. afiorcls :ril ,.lxalnple of i1,. This ornament nrust have corne into use .rfier the time o{ Buddha, and in connection u'itli Buddhism rirrlv; arrd :rs it is not found at Bhariiut it may very possibl\, he pruely Sirthalesc in'origin. {}f other forms the yu,ld,yteti, pattern (lotus. or water-leaf ;rirttern) may be rnerrtioncd; her:e we have a, spatulate leaf 'r)ternating rvith a nrore .pointed and narro.lver elenrent,. Tliis r'r,nn is clearlv dcrivecl from the lotus petals of rnedallions, :lnd is thus not strictly a, cone and flo.lver fonn, though rerriiirding us of the cla,ssical " egg and tongue " alld " tongue ancl ,lart " forms which Sir George Birdr,vooti considers belong to ;lre linop and {lower type ; it may be holvever tliat they al.so ;ii't rleriveil fl'orn lotus pet:rls. An example of ,1ta,ld,peti is i-ir'en in Piate I., fig. 3 F. This brings me to the end of the list of ilefinite survivals irom the early :r,rt of Nor,thern Inclia which I think I have been irble to tra"ce irr Kandvan art, and tirough f arn fully aware I ira,t bhe subject is rnily supcrficially dealt rvith, still the Paperr row writteu ntay bs thc means of awakening further interest in the irnportant question of the origin of some of the patterns .rrrvirting in Sir.rhalese and especially Kandvan art. lly object in blinging the matter forward norv is to provoke rjiscussion and invite criticism, and aiso to clemonstrate the iristorical value , f the sl,ucly of Si+halese art a,ncl the importance of care{ulJy preserr-ing its remains, as much from the iirtellectual as from the altistic point of vien'. Perhaps before summarizing my remarks it should be ilointed out tliat T have only referrcd to the history of patterns tlerived from plant forms : the simple geometrical elements
:qi:hrsir.clt Tn<lian,
i.ir-.ierrf

sh

JoUnNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON).

[\ror,. XIX"

tro.57.-'19t)6.1

SINHALESN ALTT.

t9

of Sirrhalese art-dots, squares, circles, paraliel lirres, interlacings (plaits), and the like arc on a clifTerent footing, fot sucii geometlical patterns havo originated iriclependerrtly in l.:rrious parts of the rvorld, instead of spreacling from a single'
centre where they were first elaborated, as appears to liilve been lhe case 'with the ancient conventionalizecl p:r,tterns dcrir.ed

i:3) The present Paper is not primarily concclnccl lyith tlre -riJl c:rr'ljer history of tlie patterns in question ; Lrub it is sug,r.cst,ecl that they are partly at any rate, as suggesbed by SiL

frour representations of plants. in parl,icular the lotil-q.

'I'he conclusions auived at may be surnmarizecl as follor.v.* :-

{i) Tirere can be traced in Sir-rhalese (Kandyan) art of the eigirteenth century, and even much Ll,ter, features rvhich ale Llmost cel'tainl.y survivals from the early art of Nnrtherri India. some knowledge of which may be supposcd to h:rr.e beetr brought to Ceylon by the " [,ion race" at' the tirne of tlieir inruigration, thougli the nrairr 1r:rrt o{ iN iir tlacealile rn,ther to bhe Asokan period ancl tJie religirr'.r , rt,nil altistic reviv:ri that follon'ed the introduction of Buddhisnr inLo Ceylcn. Tlie old. lndian art of the Asoka perioii can be best stuclied in tire llharirut .sc'ulptures (200-150 n.c.) r,r'hich bclong bo the earl.v Indian or Indo-Persian school of the first five centuries 8.c., rurci "were contenporaneous, more or less, r.ith the -{sokiln missions to Ceylon.
In particular, the follou'ing- elernents in J(andva,n art can tre tlaced to the early art of Northern India :(ri) In mural paintings, the use of roscttes, l:oth simple ant{ rvith an outer rvhorl of cotir''entional cohra heads. to filI up inconvenient spaces. (D) Style of composition :rnd general arti-qtic conr,'ention resembling tliat of the scuiptures, suggesting the possible existence of a Bharhut school of painting correspontling to thern. (r) A peculiar form of armlet seen at Bharhut and found in
(2)
ir,

Ilt'nrgp Birclwood tnany years ago, cleritecl florn Ass.vria. they may have travellccl with th:r,t alphabet of the ,,lcli.st northern Semitic ,r Fhrpnician type which beca'ro the irr{,estor of all later Indian alphabets ancl whictr appears on tlrr-' iUoabite stonc and on Assyrian rveights of 800 B.c.*; ,lss1.ria, however, is but a step on the \yiuv, for the patterns rr re ultimately traccable to Egvpt. The existence of Cr.eek irrfltrence, uioPet-sia and as a result of Alexander,.s conquests, is: indicated; but it must bc rememlrerecl that even thc Clreel< l'or:ms themselves are also in thc lasb analysis traceable to llg-;.pt ; it is tlierefore quite uurlecessary to postulatg any rlirect borrowing of the simptla niotifs of Sirihalc.qe art frorn {,rlcece by early Indian (fnclo-persian) or by Sirr}ra,lese artists, ,iltliough we may trace Greeli influencc in the mode of rissociation of some of these clerlents (wr:lle.nrctnke, aegeu,rrrhc'nce

&c,). Tire periocl of later Greek iitfluence on Indian ar.t must also be allorl,ecl for., inasnruch ;rs rvith the spread of the foreign tvpes of figure sculpture l,lrere must h&\re gone also a strengthening of anv Greeli element
,r.h'eady existing
I

:trmd,igelotusblutlt, urul Ttctlmette,

in the purely dccorative art of tire

peoplcs

nfluenced.

modern Sirthalese ernbroidered jacket.

(r1) Palmette patterns on Sir"rhalese embroideries, wor,d carr-ing, lac-painting, ancl pottcry.

20 ) years before the procluciion of ihe specime.s wirich folrrretl the subject of Dr. Coomaraswamy's remarki. .I.hey knerr., ior' instance, thit the Portuguese first, nnd the l)utch after tfem. inr_ liorted a large amount of manufactures-rvorl<s r,f art-wbictr thev 1x'esented to the Kandyan l(iug.s, and these hatl bt,en going ebou"t the country to a great extent. 'fhey saw somc of ihese #orki of arb cYen now in some of thc out-of-thc-\\'1y villages-boxes.rvith caryinErs :rnd v:rrious other specimens of Iirrrone*., nit of the lbbh ancl 16ih i:enturies-so that he clid n_ot kntru'rvhether they might not to a certain extent have influenced the clraractcl of the" .p"""irr,.rr. which had been presented to thdm that eveuing. He merelv threrv out these
E

for ubout

IIr. R. G. Ax'r'rloxrsz-spoaking as a .{ layman "-saic{ he tlicl noi iinciw ryhether Dr'. Coomarasrvarn,v had intenlionally omittocl from that rlt'scussion the fact that thePortuguese and Dutch hnd been in Ucylon

l{acdonell, " Histor;' of Sanskrit Literaturc.', p. lti

1)()
suqqestions as
p:r,r'li cu la,r

,'ouuN-A-r., R.-\.s.

(cEYLoN).

[vor,.

\1x.

il]toctEltDtNGS.

9l

:l iayman, uot h:lr'ing made the mutter a subiect ol stutly. Jl. Jl. r'rrti (iovlHxot :-'Ilo what ilo you allude parNicularly-tlrc orr lrloirIer'1. patterns ? l[r'. .Ax't'noxrsz :--I am speaking generally. Proceecling, he poiuted to one of the illustrations in tire Paper which contained a lion rvhiclr ir seemerl to hirn wirs a chilracteristic of hcraldic lions. The Jleu'rlc-Iu; was, he thouglit, lnothel instance. He tlrouglitthe Portuguest and Dutch had brought n good clel} of influenoe of the 15th and lilth {'etrtut'ies to Leal upolt somt: of thesc designs. FIe mentionecl t}rar the other clav a fin6 cliscor.cry hacl l-reen maie at the Charteretl Banl< premises whin sorne stones ivere dug up. Onc of them n'ts a pillar ber,utifull;'carvetl with scallopetl. shclls arril c,ther designs. llhcy very ,l,rselv rcsembled s,,me of the stone pillars they sitrv rcprcsentetl irr the Museum as Silhalesc trrt. Now thev knes'tiltt the Sirrhale;o dirl not occupy Colornbo as a statjon. 1'heie rvas no fort rt Coiombo uutil rhe Portuguese came there ancl built ll, stockacle antl then a folt in t]rt I {ith r:entury : so that some of the stone pillars which were pointetl out to tbcin as s'orks of Sinhalese alt nright possibly be tr:lced to the
J?ortnguese
.';:'

r'ros,()esderlLrvillr sirrirrlcse.lri*1,,r.J.rrntl L,,riruuglrrlllcl,r.,_.ilil1,ri,)rr

\ris ,ttrtrl,rttfitz oprr,"lr* hopetl rvorrl.i finci an"o"ppo"t.rnitV t,r rnor[ifv rlrai' Irro.tl statement.lrc in r,;. ucti"f tlic'siii;i;";""p;;;i;g.'; th.t .', rr:'oi.vcr,' rrot pairrted bv rriists of r,lre country. T.l,"y ririgLt, li,-,".,{"ii, 'r'rve-bec.n painted b""v. ,ri *ti-t".,iJ. irr rrrdia. rnr] lre :-li,',1 lIs ail,irenco t,r "cho.i flnv one l.UOtj ""-iriurrt rftel,tl,i* rer,_ Iarrcv Vcat,s trr."irrg to differentinte betweoir EriglisL am'"ri"r' p"1"tr"i-. -,' "nd 1'['. W. A. rri Srr,r.,r sil,id it ri,as stated i, ilre loct're r:ii.t lJutl,lli.l,st imag-es u'ere of tbe Grecian -t_ype,9r "oriirn"ucea by Grecian ,rr1ists. l'herc rvas a referencc
;::1,1 , .t

(ri,: In lil.nnl. of 1.he vierv tlr;rt Siith;tlese tl.tists \vcltt t. .\ja,,li,ril,l ,;li:i1:,i.^tll::.fl-":","..,nrrd rror il,:rr r,r,rhii ,i"ii".,= .,,,,," 1,, r.,.1 to,,. il Jilc ile cxp|essed hts grelt satisfaction at the ver.y able st:u,r nilriuh l!r. ooomlrasrvamv hacl"rnacle. ,..r,r.,ri,;"i, rrl ii"o"a rvonltr culminate in

Kandt'an art :lnil tire trndian llhar'hut art. Tt rvas cerrtirrll' a very great, tliscovcry, antl students of Sir-rhalese rrt in tire futur'e woull alwal,s claim ltirn as the first gentlcman to pointoutthc connecr'ell1iu1'y

rliscovery, rvlrich he had estabiished, of tht: councction betrveen 18th

llr'. C. l\{. Fonx.rxno conglatrrlatetl I)r. (ioomaraswamy orr tht

.el]iorrs. 'lhe

'eitherthey s.eru ll:,^tll-r,S,l, r d*nce irrll6ngoliair-, ir""n"*-i*-i*rfr""n rcpreserrtaiion rir<e lhab rn si:rm-ll dil'cc rvliicrr bero'gccl "to tlhe colestial
same dr.ess, the sarne

.i\rith rcgnrd to the Sigir:i lraiutirgs lre lra.i,luite a tliffercrrr, tlreory, 'iith q'hich he dirl not ihi.-nr< either Di- cnurna."'r*any or Mr.. Fe,.r,,,ncio "'rould agrec'. fIe rhought rhey rvere siari"r"t.-i-i. i;,,i;;,,.

'luttc

in olci books tn i-ug"s fr.;r! I""ri"'i' it rvas quite i::l sa'd.l*o.d; u,'cl yeal,s bcfoi.c possibll imrges ha.l fi",,,, i,i,.Ao seve|rl hrrndred tlrlt perio,l.'

f,ion betrveen the tr.vo. lViren hc hacl reacl 1)r. Coomaras\vany's Pa,per ctrefrill1,, its lte ,litl, the lirst cluestiorr he asked hirn-seif was: lVhere cloes Sigiri come in'.' 'l'ire (' Sigiri frcscoes " l\'itrs l, question ritisocl irr that Society :lbou1 leu Jlrars pleviously, anil ou rvhich the Archfological Comnrissiouer antl lre harl "agreecl to t'liffer." l[r. Bell, in thc course of rr very abie }]apt,r delivere.l dur:ing lbe raqinut of IIis trixcellency's preciecessor'. rrrt.ists. ir,r'rrl not the rvork of Sinhalese artists. He quiie agree,i rvith lh'. Coomatasrvamy that it was vcry tlitlicult to drarv tlie line iretl'eert Itrclitn antl Sinhalese art. I)r. Coomarasrvamy had pointetl out tlre grcal alliancc l-]rich elrose beil'een Southern trnclia and Ceylon b;' iis pro-rinritv 1.000 yr:ars tgo, but he hacl all'ays maintaineil thcre rvns ;r" sinrilm rlliance betwoen Northern India and Ceylon in ancl befrx'e the t.inro of \\riia"vo, arrd, therefore, he ventured to cliffer flonr Mr'. llell tirat the Sigili fresc'oes should be attributed to Indian and not to larr-yer, cl:rim thirt possession was nine points of the larv; ancl unbil it rvas delinitely established that they were not painted b1' SirShalese altists, lie would not conceilc the proposition that tbey were paint,ed by -sirrhrlesc rrti-sts. He ailudecl Lo lhe tl[o,/tiu:opsa rv]rich statetl t]rat stonemasous l'ere ilt orre time brought from India. Other craftsmel l\'ero not mentionerl-ancl he maintained the iriference rvas tha,t the cilrer artists rvere harl locllly. I{e poirrted out the close lesemblance bet'tveen rhe Sinhalese fr:escoes and those at Ajania. 1l'he Aiantrr
Sir.rher,lese.

urerttioretl that thc Sigili frescoes were Ure work of

Tnrlian

Ilrc. lrl'l :r .ecurrl ,,r' rrrt i'iravirrg decor.aied r)ondra Terrrprcl I ac]mitted that the portuguese :rnd itulch hacl some i,rflueirce, ,,,,t, 'r, Krnd)lrr but on ilre low-eo"rrrrrr._1.ar.t,;Lrrd helr,,cis"e,r-iir;;;;;;i;; r\lallr'.s figrrlcs rvitlr tl<ir.ls.:lrr,i lil l<irr,l- o[,liffelcur 'Ir;rrs.lrrd '*trb.clhs. H. tborig}t thirt h'cl come from the introclucti,r' of i\ estuln irrt. The r,ltittnprtt,lu.rcft in thc lou,_countly, if he rvas [sked l(r rnnl{e u hum,' forrn, .wu'tecl to put *ll s,rrts of 6,.u"r.i"r,* ; it'; ,rtrcl if he drew a i,rec ho pnb in lois of lrranches. IIe had seerr in 'irnliles pictrr.es.e1,r'"se'tirg kings and p.i'ces of the oltle'tinres ''it'rrtiorred irr the ,*;rcrerl books. irhey'verdall rvearirrg r.nodern ilressro.r. of them rvith tr.'se.s :rnd c.ats I That lvns irrrtloubteillv the
'rr'1.

'oses ir mr,Jlrr ', ]e sonn ir.ilrrl ,lancc. s9'ir;trL,tsen (lone bc ,luiLe 1,..siLl" ,nai il,"*,, mighl hrvc lry r'lrs Oliin,.re. 'l'lrer.krrerv ,',.i..ll"llll,l I,rrntings llrelp\,.r.e i()rrt.!ttStory ftl'tt l numlrcyo[(]lri1,,.c:Lrri:lsirr(jevlorr_

lot.s

florvers.

irid the silr]tc

The Sigili paintings being in Ceylon, he would, as

rif Orieutal rvtrlkmanship,-F.. IIon"

.'^t;lt'itc short pill:r.r rrnearthed at the Chartered Bunk premises is olearly

9ec.:,

(re|oslilS ll'oll'l(iilgs;lr1(l l.rilsil(.lii,tg rlrei| 1,;rltccs. trrrl ire,lj,l rrot

Ht tlr,,rr,:lrf lirai llro Sigili 1r:iirrtings lelc quir. di ftlcut i'r.,,6 11,., ,le:tl ;xtirrririgs thr,t r'r're oxL;rnt ir lrr,lie;rn,l i*ylorr, rrrrd nrt ciorrt. bv 'trr' .\r;r"tt ol lndiarr, but.by.lire ( rh;llere rrtists who rr.er.c ernplot.e,i tl, l,.tirrt lealisiic figures in the kings' palaccs. lfr. P. E. Prutnrs referred to:l curious 1y111a1ns11l-a cobrr,s heircl_, itr rvhich Dr. Coorntras.rvarny,hatl alluderl in his lecture. It uigLt iiii,,'r'cst the lect'rer to knorv-tliirt rc ir, be'rplu four. miles fro"if iS"Ti-, 1'r.'jo.riing 1'rom :r w:rll, Lher.e rvlrc srrll<es" Irea,ls-h,,o,lcd He "r.lic,-l the pricst if lrc coul,l cxlrllirr i.hc sigrrific:rnce, lrur,,rf"olr,,,r.- h,, uuurqe, '.r1l,l 1161. I I Dr. U()onr:r.aswrrr\ vi.iicd"rlre sp'[. in ,,tt proir"iliii" l,r' w,rrld bc in r rr,,sir.ion Ln gir.* lirt,m l,;i".",,,.Ion.'"-"''' -r;t;;;;" .{'s. r,eg:rr,ls r'lre_ irrfluence -lxerciscti b;. the portuguese urrtl lrutclr slillrillcse ;rr'1, hu rvrs errtirr.ll. itr disrgr.ecnrt,nL $.jth Mr. Anthorrisz. .Jll I rlescpeonle werc [oo l_rusy lrriiirrg rlrc t]rlo:lls uf tjrcir.(rlrr.>irrlr:rlesr) rrr.c:ior{,.irr. sterrlirrg t}re Iirrie-morrcy clteir,;utceilo;s l,n.l, a,r,i ii

'rtHrrr.lrcr. exulcised

by tlte Portuguest, arrri

I )uUch.

t 1..)

JouRNAL, R./d.s.

(crYLoN).

[Vol,. XIX.
,r,,rl1

l?l i.(; Lllr

lil )trNGS.

9;j

bhink thoy hlrl further time to devoie to tlrc oultiYation of the " fi,,e nrts. It rvas impossible for anv one familiar rvith.the !y11" "r ir"rra*ents ancl type 6f art in tbe Ii:rndyrln countt'y to i,liiuk the Por' tuguese or llutcli influenced thenl. IIc would not go solrl itt uonncc--

tioirrvithihelow-country. I'heartofthelorv-country,rvlric)r;r,ppeerecl in rtllthchouseholc'lpossi"rssions-lritsof jewolleryt|"ir:n'ileslelsueded

.ciro$'eal

them to bny, anil tl-re curirisibies they bought themselves-tlrroughotrt thl' inflrrcnce of Europein ar:t. Lt they went to the Kantlyrrr country and went irtti the houses, it lt-,rs ht,treret itupossi6Ie to ihink they l.ere in :rlv 'way iriflucncc'i Ly Europe;Ltr altists. The :rrts rveldesscntialll dis'irrrillr' lle boldlv' onlluvettuLl Ilte 'Lfl.tetttetrL mrrde bv llr. Arirlr, rrisz thrt tlrerc \\irs rro 5i11lrxlese settlement in Colornbo ,,f iir" ii"i,r.l-it" *tui"a, and quotetl autlioritie-r irr support of his assertio[. In regerd ls images of l3uililir:r, Lhe Prince
t
ea

., 1I'p'prscnIirrI Ic:tlurcs of me,IitvrI Sinlrirl, se int. r! Jircwlcclge of stone builcling rl'ls certainly of foreign origrn, for . t,,, \'iiirlurs left their a,ncestrtl itome at a time rvhen it was nol tLcrc ; llm(,st the fir-ot stone builclings in trnili:r lre tb(j 1,,.,.,r. ".'.-t ,Ls,rlra,r:, antl there is nothirrg to suggest that the idea was i,nd'cpewl,erttlll ir1'r'ivi)d a,t in CeYlon. Ll. E. ihc. GttvrnnoR askctl ttiosc ]rresent to join }iim irr giving l)r. l jqornuraswlmy a herllty vote of tltanl<s for the very intelcsting Paper lrc hn.il read. Dr. Coomiu'lstvenv hrtl t'ntelcd upon the slorv patir of ;rrr.estigation, ancl it was p().qsihlc rhe tt'snlt might he vcry irrteresting

[{c wlrs grltelul to l:Ir'. Ilcrnanilo ancl others for recognizing the poini,,f his Papcr', \'i2", tbc tracing back to thc Asol<lirr perior'l

irr

t'ries^b, It. C'. Jina'lvaral,ansa, rvlto'rvls prcseirb- at the Meetirtsr-t914 hinr he had an image of lhrciclha in a.statc of Asoebicisrn drltecl 300

ls

be

lore Christ,.

.\[r. St;t{,{rtrlrAJAlt folt it his cluty to conect celta,in }ristorical irtaccurilcies in the remarks matle bv one of the speaker-s' It lras saicl b.y tritl. \-lte
,11u,hi,tr:ttt"tsrt, srritl conch'.siYely.hhrr.t

hiur ttrat bhe Tamil influence on the lrr't of Oey)on rvasonly 1,000 year-s

thcle flom the very commoncemerli' Vijtvtr :,,rrtl 7(J0 follolve|s n'ent ovcr tlte {irst time'to Soubheru l.ncht L'.' !iriLl lvive*,:rn'l it is recorded in the -lj/(l/rrhr:(tttsiolltal, they returne'd rvith lrlllant|ritrs arrrl jt-rvt'ls, rl'1 all these ornlniiuts of olden times. T]rc eil]iesi lurr's anil customs all lxriuteti to the fact thab the Tamil irrflrrence \vir,s thele florn the tegin.irrg. Lie clairned f cu' tho Tamil pu'clits tlie rl.iri'g ,, I rL cerh:titr. PlLii granrm:rr. tle woukl not vcntule to spetk uu tho qucstlon--'rr Sinha'iese ilr'[. bcuause ttuless one hnd -*tndied ihc subiecb ctrcfully. nriirutell-, :tuci scientiljcally, tlntl unless they hatl compareclthe companltivtj'tlet:r,ils of moclerirt imcl atrciont Siilhaleiie :rrt,.it n'ils tilcre lorriecture, lLucl he x'as not plepil,recl to palticiplte in conjectnl'e. lIr. D. B. JevlliL,.tliA did not claim to bc a Pirli schoJar, yet he ir:lcl some knorvledge tif P/lli rlilt1 hilrl stuclieil iis liter.Ltu]'e ; lruf hr: harl never ;eartl iliat'-tiamil pu,tlits lt:r.1 e*er'lrriiten a Pili grarnrtr:rr" He thought thrlb nc Phli gra-mlrrlr hittl uYer heen rvritlen by a 'I.amil. lfr. SoN'rtlrrR.tJ,rn coultl cluotc his autholiry. The booh is irr Lhe Library here. lIe coultl rrot-recail tlte Itmle, but ib strrtes that the e:rr'liesl Pi.li gramrnnl was by a Tarnil Bucldhist morrkIJr. L-lttort.tn.ssl'arrv, repiying, agreeil rvith Mr. cle Silva inthinking rhrLt it 'n'as not especially Aiffrcult to recogttize the limits of Europeatr irrtluence orr Siphaiese lr1 I it ri,tr,sgenefclly' if rtot always, irn influence l'ol the rvorse. \Vith regtr,rcl to the Sigiri paintings-he antl 1\h'. Fenrrltrclo 'ffere a't r,,,e in lss<iciating them ivitli those o:f Ajanta, as {irst porntecr out-by i\'tr. BeIl, It rvai clear thtt trvo schools of art hacl exisbecl in Inclia, viz., tlte l3harhut or idealistic, and the Ajanta or inrltler\ioriis,t; it rvri jrrst possiLrl,, llrrr nirtivt C.vlotrcsr::tl'tisli ol tltc lirtter 'clrool uxiste'l ,,t oie tiue in Ceylon, tl6ugL ib seemed more rtatut'li to suppo-se t hat they'were folcigners, Iriarry c,lse, horvct'er, it rvirs clear that tire {l,te meriirtlll Sinhiese art leferi'ccl i,o irr the prescrrt l'rLper bel"nge'l to the iderlist sdhool ancl hacl no histolical oirnneulirn rvith bhlt t'f

tlre-Taniil irtflueuce

n'as

l'[r'. Iiernundo's renarks rcgrrriliitg Sigiri rvere of peculi:rr interesl. Llt tlir1 uot thinl< rny collecbiott lt;rtl beetr nublished <tf the various ii,:.cocs iu tlrc rlilierent vihii,res iu the Isillrrd. As far as he coultl f i:rmellrbcl, there rvere sorne ilol'tions cf ihe frescles llt Dambullt ,i.irioh sholvccl sometiring of the same influence rls \v:ts seen at Sigiri. ilc thought ii rvould be vei.'y interesting from au lrchruological poinl ,-,i viel' if they coulcl collect th;: t'ilrious frescoes rvhich seemed to be ir cxistence in the vihurr:s iIr llrrndyan tlisrri.cts nnd gct them togetlter *'ilh some c:rre, irs thcse things had beeu got togcthcr in Intlia," Stuclents lvould then harre the oDportnnity of comparing thc details
,Lrr,1

i:he

tutrile irr Ce1'lorr.

ril ioin rvith him iri heartily tlrrrnking Dr.

Coomaras'wamy for tb-e i-''l1ier he hacl rentl ltefore thent, nhich must be intcresting to all rnterested in the Archreologl' of Ceylon. I)r. Coou,rn,rs\\rArIy tha,uked his r'r,udience for the liinil reception ,irey hlr.l givut the r-,rtc of iiranks pt'oposed by IIis Exoellerlcv. T'hr: .,1,'i*lrrt in,l r-eri1'r',,cll cluty norv dertolrted upon him of proposing:r i,-,t" of thlnl<s to His llxcelierrcy foi:'l<inrlly coming there anci t'.r.kirrg ihe chair. 1'he Societ;' hirel erer:.1'r'easctr to congr:rtulate itself on the irilerest enil suppolt it receiver-l fri'nl l{is Excellencv, ancl he might s:r.y lJre rvhole Islrnd shoulrl bc gr:Lteful to Ilis llxcellencyfor the irrtel'cst le took in such ilattels utlti tlre synr.irlttlrl'and support hc glr"e to altr r{forts to preserve the hanc'licrafts of t}re SiIhalesewhicir "uiere still to s,rrne extenb preserred. but ;ilro ]iles of t4iich hung by so ver"1' sletldet'
:r [lirea('I.

fIc' wiis not corrrpcletri to cxlirc:.s rul ripitliou on thc: tlctilli:lble points L'aisecl; hut one thilrg Le t'iLs rluite cJeat about rvas th:lt tirey rvoulcl

cornit'rg to aconclusiort.

This concluiled the busirress of ih': l'Teeting.

:\ r,i,E,\ti)tx"

l"Ceylo'tt {}ltstrtr. i'.' :!'nEl.Lst .g' 1906"1

Colornbo, Augasi 81 1906"

Sisiri'

Dr.Ln Srt,-As prcrurisccl. I rvrlle t,o you- llire n;rrne of the Pilli ()r'ilmrrral roielrc,l io in m-, l'nrr tllr. rt ihe tli'crlssion of Dr'. Cioomara:rvamy's Pirper at, the Inst l[e-tirr v 'f the Asietic Society at the Colombo

9+

,rolrRN.tt,, n.A.s. (cEVr,oN).

lVol. XIX"

I rlrrrrfc tlre pr,ssrge fronr the Rrtltu,sitlrl,li, whichshows that'the author w:rs t Tamil Buddhist monl< calied Dipankaro, .who llour.ished in rire
{-lhcia couutry wherr Butldhism 'wa,s prevaient there

lluseLrnr is fl.u.pusiLtllt). '''1'he olilest versiorr of tho cornpilationflom Kachclraytrrttr's gt'amnar'," says Turnour, tt is trchnrtirfu:drted to be ilre tit,/ursitlrih)'' (see Trrnrour's Intloduction to Lhe )Ia/t.tltuunsa, p.46)"

{r

:-

"Wilikhyatanantla,thcralvhal'a waragurunrlrr lllirn bapanriiclilira.janan sisso Dipaukaru,kkhyo Danilarva sumati dipalrrcldilLp:rkasri illlaclichchadi wasaclil'rvitayamarldhiwasan sasan:rn iotayiyo soyam lluilclapiya'n'ho

ritti : imanujukan

Rupasitlclhintr.kasi."

nbove quoiation is transiaied as follo'ws :A certain clisciple of Anando, a, preceptor rvLo s as 1a. r'.ril; irig poini ) uuto eminent preceptors lil<e unLo a stanclard in 'I':lmbrrl,rnni, urme,l l)ipankaro, reno'wned in tire Darnila Kingdom (of Ohoia) :urd itre rt,sident-superior of trvo fraternities there, tho llaiadichcha (and the Olruclamaniyakyo), caused the religion (of Budtlho)io shine forth. IIcrvit,q the pliest rvho obtained the a,ppellaiion of Buddhabiyo (tLe deiighr of Burltlho) anrl compiled this per'.fcct Rupu,silhIhi.''

'fhe

"

E. S. W. Soxalur

B,,r,re.

lt'
hacl

CeTll

ott Abset-urr," Arlr1tr,sl,

1, n06.j

contentiorr Mr. Senathirirjr quotes the concludirrg verse ol ihe flu,pctsiftlfti rvhich, I am afi'aid, does not help him much. This velse only (rles to shorv tbat Buildhabiyo, the authol r:eferred io. 'was famous in South fudil,r where he residetl at one period of his life, and worked

-{rrl.--Orl-tsc to absence from horne, it rvas only yesterclaS' t}rat f tlie qrpoliuuity of rencling^ NIr, Itr. S. W.- Serrathiraja's ietter nppearing in your issue of ihc Bth irrstant. Mr. Selathilaja has, I firtl" rececled from his original position that the earliesi loili Grammar lqas composed by a Tamil scholar. Ilis lctter under |epl9 seeks to grlore th:r,t lha Ruprrs)tl,lhl, a work basecl on Kaccayaria Glummar, lrrs ;(,mposed by rr Tumil Buddhist monk. In support of this seconcl

for bhe propagation of

ibe Ru,pu,siddlr I rvas written cluring that time. This does noi, however, strorq that Ruiiclhabiyo was t Draviclian, any more than the fact that l)r. Llopieston rl'rcte his rvork on lluddhism rvhen he was Bishop of Colonrbo proves him to be a Ceylonese. 'l'he evidence quober:l by llr. Senathiraja cannot therefore be regardeil as of rnuctr value in cieierrnining the poirrt under discu.qsion" On the contrary, that quotarion, combinecl with information avaihble flom other sout'ces, iustifiesthe infer:nce tha,t Buddhabiy'o rvas a Sighalese sctrolar'. Accoldiug to the Ruyttr,,si,t{clhd ver-se, his preceptor was Ananc]o'.l'hera, a farnL,us Sir.tiralese scholar. In tire Ptiju Marlhu, another rvork of l}ucklhabiyo, iire full name of his preceptor is givenas trranarirbirrra AniLrrda. ifhis wiis tlcrubtless the great Sinhalese scholar describecl it tlte lilrsauul,ittni rr s lhe tutor of f-ed'eha The'ra, author of that wor'lr, ancl also of the S'itttt't Srtnqa,rtt ancl the Sq,ntartnhutu, Vurutctrttt. The Ni,kayu S'curryraln, rhe well-known historv of Bucl.dhism, composecl during the I'eriod iurmediately foilorving tiai of these l'heras.'mentiolrs A;rirnd& fretlehrr rucl

Buclclhism

in that countly. Quite

possibly

51' 57"
,,,-,1!;,,. , -,,,t,,i

-1 90{i' l

PROCEED tNGS

(ri:

{r

1,r,i,lluLrirrr irr olrlel alrtoug the celebrated scholars rvho flourishecl irr ;:,,.1,, r. ,r''41y1',rte wolks on Budrlhism during the eighteerrth ancl tlte

prrrt oI the uirteteenth

corrtur',v

of the I]tidd]rist era (p. 2'l of

pupil of Bucldhapiyit 'lherr, thtr ,ri ief c,f the Dakkinaram;r." (etectetl by Pralnaurr Baliu tire Great). [.lnltss sirongcl eviclence to ihe coltlllry is folrhcorning, thc fllcts stilterl :,irr.rve do, I ienture to thinl<, iustifv the uoltclusion t,hat Brrdilhrlpi.lrl 'lllrerrr,, ihe atlthor of Ruputi,lJhi, 1vils & Sil,lhalese scholar, n-hti,
1.,,r",lra. clescril'cs

rditton1. Sitlrlhrlttha
hims.lf

Thern, theauthor of the

l}ili

rvcrrk Sarc

as '( the last

lrlleyer, resided for lrithf i*''

some time

in ihe Chola countr;-.- I atn" ;-ottrs r). tt. ,r A\.:\'ri',.\ri.\.