The work is comprised of a wood box that the artist has worked on and this box contains 12 watercolor works on paper of 2 different sizes. The paintings are to be removed from the box and displayed directly on the wall. The wooden box has metal filigree detailed corners and a central oval painted area. The works will be shipped in the box and will be unframed. The work also come with a brief write up by the artist.
The name Sri Lanka comprises the honorific Sri, or 'venerable', and the island's proper
name, Lanka. It is sometimes translated poetically as 'resplendent isle'.
The Republic of Sri Lanka, previously the Dominion of Ceylon, attained republican status
within the Commonwealth of Nations on 22 May 1972. The state arms, which are not in
the heraldic tradition, reflect to an even greater extent than the arms of the Dominion of
Ceylon the Buddhist traditions of the Sinhala-speaking people. The device of Sri Lanka
incorporates the lion holding a sword, on a red roundel, within a circlet of lotus petals,
from the 1954 arms of Ceylon. Around the flower is a wreath of rice which sprouts from a
pot on which the roundels rest. On either side of the pot are representations of the moon
and the sun (drawn with faces), Buddhist symbols of longevity that are also found in the
flag of Nepal. Completing the design at the top, in place of the Kandyan crown that
appeared in the Dominion arms, is a dharmachakra, or wheel of fate, also an important
Buddhist symbol. The lion holding a sword (here called the Ceylon lion) appeared on the
banner of the last king of Kandy (the last independent native state on the island). The
banner was taken to Britain as war booty in 1815 and returned in 1948, following the
creation of the independent Dominion of Ceylon on 4 February that year. (The island had
been a British Crown Colony since 1802.) The banner's design was initially used as the
country's flag, but three years later stripes of green and orange were added in the hoist
of the flag, to represent the island's Muslim and Hindu minorities.
(The images discussed below are derived from a manuscript dating from 1717/1720. Literature: Silva, de
and Beumer, Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon 1602-1796, 1988)
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(1) JAFFNA
The arms show the very typical Palmyra palm, an important tree for the local economy at
the time. A Tamil poem describes the 801 uses of the tree... The helmet was used by the
city of Jaffna and indicates that these cities were of high importance to the colony (after
Colombo).
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(2) BATTICALOA
The arms show three cobs of Indian corn, typical for the agriculture in the district.
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(3) CHILAUW
The arms show a single Dutch merchant ship.
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(4) NEGOMBO
The arms show a clay pitcher for storing water. It was customary to sink these empty
pitchers in the sand overnight. The brackish water filtered through the clay and filled the
pitchers with purified water. Thus pottery was an important handicraft in the region.
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(5) COLOMBO
The arms show a type of mango tree, as a canting symbol, the name was supposedly
derived from Kol-amba, the name of the tree in Sinhalese. To the tree a small pigeon
was added as a Christian canting symbol (from the Latin columba or pigeon).
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(6) TRINCOMALEE
The arms show a lascarin soldier. These soldiers were imported in large numbers by the
Dutch from Java and Malaya. The soldier probably symbolises the large number of
soldiers in the two large Dutch fortresses in the town.
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(7) GALLE
The arms are double canting, showing a rock (gala in Sinhalese) and a rooster (gallus in
Latin). The helmet was also used by the city of Jaffna and indicates that these cities
were of high importance to the colony (after Colombo).
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(8) MATARA
The arms show a bridge over the Nilwala ganga and a Martello tower. Why these
symbols were chosen is not known, as neither of these was present in the
town....
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(9) KALPITIYA
The arms show two Dutch merchant ships
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(10) KODDIYAR
The arms show a wild date palm
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