1916.9.314
Name and identification of character
A mythical bird in the form of a demon, gurulu rassaya, or garunda raksa (Sin.).
Context
Stage two in a Kolam performance.
Material
Wood, vel-kaduru (Sin.) (Nux vomica). Traditional pigments.
Iconography
The mask has many of the characteristic features of a gurulu rassa mask (vide specimens 1916.9.312-313, and 1916.9.315), although, it has only one cobra (usually there are more).
The ear-ornaments are sculpted as parrots (not as pheasants as is said in the Umlauff Catalogue). As usual in gurulu masks the bulging eyes, painted with crow's feet, kaka pada (Sin), and the eyebrows in three rows ornamented with yellow petal designs, complete the shape and disposition of the mask.
2000 12 27
Dr. M. H. Goonatilleka