mask (ansiktsmask)

1916.9.28

Name and identification of character
The minister of a king; either of King Kalinga, or Maha Sammata, or Nalukerthi (cf. the description of 1916.9.26-27)). The mask gains the name of the minister of the king referred to in each Kolam repertoire.

Context
This character appears in the preliminary part of a Kolam performance. The dancer wears the mask only when the royal party perambulates in the dance arena, prior to the performance of the separate stories. As usual, the mask is then taken off the dancer and is placed on mats, while the rest of the dances are enacted.

Material
Wood, Vel-kaduru (Nux vomica).

Iconography
The crown has two main parts. The detachable pinnacle is in the form of the dome of a relic chamber, dagäba (Sin.), in two sections. It is carved and painted in the round, with the normal creeper design.

The lower layer is decorated with flowering trees and creepers painted in bright colours such as yellow, pink and green.

The face is painted in lemon yellow. The elongated ear lobes and the ear-ornaments suspending from them, the forehead band, and shoulder blades, are geometric. Leaf and petal designs have been used for ornamentation. One shoulder blade is damaged.

2000 02 24
Dr. M. H. Goonatilleka