Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c19.71

c19.71

Before concluding this chapter, it is desirable to give an account of the methods of painting temporary mud images that were made by astrologers for *bali* ceremonies. This painting is quite distinct from that practised by the craftsmen proper, and represents an historically *Painting* and actually more primitive art. The finished images, when a little dried, are first whitened with kaolin paste, then painted in colours, red, green, grey and black. The red is made of pounded iron oxide (*guru-gala*) as used for the slip-painting of pottery; the green from pounded leaves of *ranavara* (*Cassia auriculata*); the black from pounded coconut-shell charcoal; and grey by mixing kaolin with the black. The colours are applied with a brush, and are combined with other decoration in the form of leaves and flowers of coconut, cut stalks of plaintain, etc. Some idea of the style and scope of this *bali* painting will be gathered from Pl. IV., 2.