1916.9.55
Name and identification of character
Kolam mask depicting a queen, bisava or devi (Sin.).
Context
Kolam mask in the story portion.
Material
Wood, Vel-kaduru (Sin.) (Nux vomica), and traditional paint.
Iconography
The mask is sculpted in the round. This is an old and badly damaged mask. The diadem is larger and broader than that of a princess. There is a supporting wooden portion, hollowed from inside, to separate the crown from the face, as well as to facilitate the dancer to hold the entire mask in position. The dancer wraps his head with cloth to keep the mask in place. The figure of a creeper maiden (and not a Buddha, as mentioned in the Umlauff Catalogue) is sculpted on the centre of the crown. The crown and the back of the mask are intricately carved and painted (some of the paint is erased) with traditional pigments (vide Preface).
2000 03 15
Dr. M. H. Goonatilleka