Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c20.s2: II. How to Prepare Colours
Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c20.s2
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II. How to Prepare Colours
c20.s2.1
1. Take equal parts of *hiriyal* and *ran-hiriyal*, and grind with the juice of *milla* bark, *gammalu* bark, and *gokaṭu* bark, and roast it; the colour of gold is produced.
2. Take *badulla* milk, *keppiṭiya lakaḍa*, *hāl-dummala*, and old *jak* milk in equal parts, grind these four together, and warm; apply to what you will; this is black *badama*.
3. For red *badama* grind *sadiliṅgam* and warm with juice of *ratmal* bark; apply to any work you will; the colour is red.
4. For yellow *badama* take *gokaṭu* juice, *hiriyal*, and *ratukaha* in equal parts; collect old *jak* milk and grind with *doraṇa* oil; apply to any work you will, polish it with a cheetah’s tooth; this is yellow *badama*.
5. For a good effect take sea sand, roast and sift it; apply it with arrack where required, polish it with a cheetah’s tooth; this is blue *badama*.
6. Take equal parts of *hiriyal*, *gokaṭu* milk, quicksilver, alum, sal-ammoniac, borax and white lead (*suḍu īyan*) and grind in *doraṇa* oil; apply to whatever work is needed, polish it with a cheetah’s tooth; this is gold coloured *badama*.
c20.s2.2
| *Badama* | ... | ... | Varnish, composition. |
| *Hiriyal* | ... | ... | Orpiment (in lump). |
| *Ran-hiriyal* | ... | ... | Orpiment (scaly). |
| *Milla* | ... | ... | *Vitex altissima*, L. |
| *Gammalu* | ... | ... | *Pterocarpus Marsupium*, Roxb. |
| *Gokaṭu* | ... | ... | *Garcinia Morella*, Desr. |
| *Badulla* | ... | ... | *Semecarpus Gardneri*, Thw. |
| *Keppiṭiya lakaḍa* | ... | ... | Stick lac. |
| *Hāl-dummala* | ... | ... | Resin from the hal tree, *Vateria acuminata*, Hayne. |
| *Sadiliṅgam* | ... | ... | Cinnabar. |
| *Ratmal* | ... | ... | *Ixora coccinea*, L. |
| *Ratukaha* | ... | ... | *Bixa orellana*, L. |
| *Doraṇa* | ... | ... | *Dipterocarpus glandulosus*, Thw. |
c20.s2.3
∗ *A bhaṇavāra is equal to 250 verses of 32 syllables each.* † *Old recipes from D. S. Muhandiram, Embekke. It will be seen that the ‘colours’ referred to are compositions, not pigments.*