mask (ansiktsmask), maname bisava

Name
Queen (Bisava, Devi, Devinnaanse; generic terms for queen) of King Maname (cf. 1916.9.1), commonly known as Maname Bisava or Maname Kumaariya (meaning Princess Maname), appearing in the popular play Maname Kathaava, or The Story of Maname, based on one of the former births of the Buddha.

Identification and context
The headdress is in the form of a half-crown or coronet, much like that of an English Queen, erroneously identified in the Umlauff Catalogue as that of an English Devi, i.e. an English Queen. There are no English stories in kolam. The fact that the hair is braided, dividing it into two parts at the top is certainly suggestive of Kandyan hairdressing.

Material
Wood, vel kaduru (Nux Vomica).

Iconography
The mask comprises the face surmounted by a coronet; attention is focussed more on this headdress decorated with motifs in the nature of Kandyan foliage designs, painted in yellow, red, pink and green. The upper structure studied separately appears to be that of a head-gear in the form of an arch, worn by an unmasked dancer in the demon ritual called Garaa Yakuma (cf. Preface). A thin forehead band, called NaLal PaTiya, which appears to be a twisty cloth, decorated with white and black spots, separates the coronet and the forehead but it is overshadowed by two flanking pieces, or bands, extending downwards covering the ears and ending at both sides of the chin. The flanking pieces are decorated with traditional foliage designs common to Kandyan art. These flanking pieces make it possible for the dancer to balance the mask while in dance action.
The face is flushing and round and is painted glossily in pink and yellow. The eyes are slightly turned upwards; eyebrows painted in a thin black line in curvature; eye-lashes drawn lightly in two or three red lines; the pupil of the eye painted with a black spot. The mouth is closed and the lips are badly painted in red. The chin is round and a curvy line in red has been drawn on it.

25 01 00
Dr. M. H. Goonatilleka

1916.9.2

Name and identification of character
Kolam mask depicting the queen of King Maname (cf. 1916.9.1), commonly known as Maname Bisava (Sin.).

Context
A royal character in the story portion called Maname Kathava (Sin.) in Kolam.

Material
Wood, vel-kaduru (Sin.) (Nux vomica). Painted with traditional pigments.

Comments on the Umlauff Catalogue
The mask is identified as depicting an English Devi, i.e. an English queen. The head-dress is in the form of a half-crown or coronet, much like that of an English Queen. There are no English stories in Kolam. The fact that the hair is braided, dividing it into two parts at the top is certainly suggestive of Kandyan hairdressing.

25 01 00
Dr. M. H. Goonatilleka