Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c11.s1.75

c11.s1.75

NELUN-MALA. The lotus is to oriental art all that the rose was to mediæval English art. It underlies many forms not at first sight traceable to it. The most characteristic simple lotus forms in use are the ‘rosettes,’ used to fill space (Pl. XVIII.) or as independent ornament, as in the case of pottery stamps (Pl. XXV., 3), or in series, especially on the beams of painted ceilings, as in Pl. XV.; also typically at Keḷaniya). All circular objects, such as round boxes, lend themselves to simple lotus ornament. We never observe that tendency to naturalism sometimes noticeable at Anurādhapura, Ajanta, etc., but the simple rosette is capable of almost infinite variation; some of the forms are shown in Fig. 34, others on Pl. XX., 2; Pl. XXIII., 2; Pl. XXV., 3; Pl. XXXIX., 10, etc. It should be noted that the lotus-circle is always divided into 4, 8, 16 or more petals, never into multiples of 3 or 5 (Pl. XXXII., 4 is an exception). The Sinhalese artists had a good knowledge of practical geometry, enabling them to divide the circle as they wished, as is seen in the arrangement of three hamsayō within a circle. The carved bed of Pl. X., 6, is a remarkable example of lotus ornament; there is a great variety of circular lotus-flowers, of which in the centre has a kind of stem.