mask (ansiktsmask), rajagedara vädakari

1916.9.15

Name and identification of character
The mask depicts a female attendant in the royal household, rajagedara vädakari (Sin.).

Context
This character is a member of the royal palace, who appears in the story portion in Kolam. But the story cannot be identified as this is a mask of a stock character, which is used in several stories.

Material
Wood, Vel-kaduru (Nux vomica).

Iconography
The headgear is plain, consisting of low-cut spires. The hair is parted at the top and painted black. The face is crudely painted in lemon yellow. The nose is pointed and the mouth closed. The Jaws are slightly sunk. A majority of these masks have a very thin, semi-circular curve on the chin. There are no earrings. The shape, colour and the tiny headgear reveal characteristics of a woman of a higher rank in attendance of the queen or princess.

Comments on the Umlauff Catalogue
The mask is identified as Wadage Wadacari in the Umlauff Catalogue (for Wadage, vide. note on object no. 1916.9.13). Wadacari is a wrong phonetical rendering of vädakari, meaning a female attendant or servant.

2000 02 18
Dr. M. H. Goonatilleka