2. GEOMETRICAL PATTERNS
- The arimbuwa is a geometrical design that consists of a row of small circles and dots set between two parallel lines; this is generally used as a border framing a design.
- The panawa is a design consisting of parallel lines drawn very close to each other. In lac work, it is usually found in combination with the arimbuwa design. This is yet another border design, used as a frame.
- The adara kondu refers to the design of straight lines, most frequently found in lac-turney products, like walking sticks or handles of ceremonial fans. They are also found in sesat work.
- The pathura or isosceles triangle or chevron is seen in its elongated form in lac walking sticks, handles of sesat and weapons.
- The binduwa is a dot pattern, usually found in a linear arrangement as a part of a composite design.
3. MISCELLANEOUS PATTERNS
- The suliya is like a scroll design, with several variations: the thani suliya or single scroll, the suli deka or double scroll, and the suli vela or continuous scroll. These designs are almost always interspersed with dots and straight lines at regular intervals.
- The diyarella is a motif representing a series of waves gently rising and falling. Several variations of this design, which Ananda Coomaraswamy describes as a chevron or a zig-zag pattern, are found, some of them fairly angular.
- The lamu geta is a plait pattern.
THE PRODUCT RANGE
1. COMMON PRODUCTS
In the Kandyan period in Sri Lanka, lac work was the accepted method of embellishing railings, chairs, jewellery boxes, and book covers adding a distinctive charm to the object. Nowadays lac-work is found on walking sticks, powder-boxes, vases, ash-trays, and lamp-stands. This technique is also used to decorate tall lamp-stands and large tables with stripes of colour in attractive designs. The latter is usually done in the lac-turney method.
The lac work done with the finger-nail is used to decorate a large variety of articles like wooden sticks of various kinds (staffs or
herimiti), handles of ceremonial spears, banners, fans, and
sesat; in ancient times it was also used for powder horns or
vedibehet karaka, oboes or
horane, and book covers or
pot kambi.
2. ORNAMENTATION IN IVORY, HORN, BONE, & SHELL
Lac is also used as an inlay in ivory, horn, and
chank work. In ivory inlay, the ivory is incised with lines and circles, which are filled with coloured lac. In the case of turned ivory or horn, this process is done by holding a piece of lac against the piece as it revolves on a lathe. The lac is heated up with the friction and fills up the incised grooves. The craft work done in Kandy confines the designs to incised lines and circles and is very similar to the work done at Jodhpur in Rajasthan in India. Flat plates of ivory are inlaid with scroll and floral ornament designs which are used in the fittings of calamander wood boxes found in the southern district of Matara; this is similar to the method of decorating ivory used in musical instruments made at Tanjore district in Tamil Nadu in southern India.
3. THE SESAT WORK OF SRI LANKA
Sesat work is very closely connected to lac work. Both are traditional crafts unique to the region of their origin and growth, mainly the Matale district in the central part of Sri Lanka. The craft of making
sesat or ornamental sun-shades and fans is dependant on the supply of lac-handles to which they are fixed; thereby this is a combination craft where lac work plays a prominent role. The villages of Hapuvida and Unaweruwa in Matale district where lac work and
sesat work are done respectively, have maintained their traditional occupations exclusively among their families where all the family members collectively contribute in the craft-process. Now there are only about 20 families which practise this craft.
This craft is believed to have been introduced into Sri Lanka by the craftsmen who came with the group of artistes carrying the sacred Bo tree in ancient times.
Sesat or
av-atu is a kind of sun-shade or a large, round fan that was used in the ancient times in processions of royal and religious ceremonies. It was used to protect royalty and the chieftains from the heat. Now these serve as decorative emblems in the form of circular patterns woven into discs and fitted onto staves.
Sesat staves are combined with emblematic spears as part of decoration.
Sesat fans are made using the Talipot palm, mica, paints, and the decorated lac staff. The item is considered complete only in the presence of the lac staff, which gives the product lustre and enhances its appeal. The tools used in
sesat-making are quite simple. The palm leaves are boiled, coloured and arranged in circles and sewn to form a design. The main design used is the lotus flower, which forms the basis of arranging the layers. The lotus flower, a very traditional Sinhalese motif, is mainly used in its geometrical form within a circle. Here it is divided usually into 4, 8, 16, and 32 petals; more petals can be introduced but the total has to be a multiple of four.
Geometrical patterns like the
havadiya are also used to make the product attractive; this motif is also known as
weldangaraya and havadidangaraya and is a chain motif with different variations. As the number of circles in the design of the
sesat increases, the product gains in value. On an average a
sesat product has about three circles. Government craft outlets are the main marketing channels for
sesat products. Private and public institutions buy these products for ceremonial occasions.
PRACTITIONERS & CRAFT LOCATIONS
In Sri Lanka, lac artisans are limited in number: today, less than 50 families are engaged in lac work. However, the government is actively encouraging this traditional craft by providing facilities such as service centres for craftsmen and Master Craftsmen training classes for the young. Marketing channels are also being created for the products.
Craft Locations:
- Hambantota district (southernmost tip of the country): The villages of Angulumaduwa and Pahala Beligalla.
- Kalutara district (south-western coast): The village of Wekada.
- Kandy district (about 227 kilometres from Colombo): The villages of Kalapura and Hurikaduwa.
- Matale (central part of the country; about 160 kilometres from Colombo): The villages of Pallehapuvida, Neluwankanda, and Mausagolla.
- Ratnapura district: The villages of Malangama, Hiramadagama, and Balangoda.
CONCLUSION
Sinhalese lac work is characterised by great brilliancy and gaiety in colouring. There is a need to preserve this traditional craft with suitable innovations to meet contemporary needs. However, change has also necessitated compromises. Today shellac has emerged as the alternative that is sometimes applied like a paint to make the whole process much faster. This may give a high degree of colour and brightness to the products but traditional quality is compromised. The impact of climactic changes on these products also needs to be considered in context of innovations.