Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c21.18

c21.18

Ivory turning The ivory carving already described is done by craftsmen of the upper group, the same man being often a painter and an ivory carver. Ivory turning is done by men of the lower division. The ivory carver is called from his work, *et-dat-keṭayan-karaya*; the turner, like the turner of wood, *liyana-vaḍuva*. The chief articles fashioned on the lathe are fan handles, handles of knives, and various implements and tools, boxes, book-buttons, (*pot-saki*), scent-sprays, *pacisi* pieces. Fan handles and boxes of horn are also made. Most of these are decorated with dots and circles incised and filled with coloured lac applied on the lathe. This decoration is an excellent instance of the good effect produced by simple means directly adapted to the material, and arising out of the method of manufacture and the nature of the materials available. The dots are made with a pointed tool; the circles with one having two points, used like a pair of compasses, one point being stationary, the other describing a circle about it. Fan handles so decorated are illustrated on Pl. XXXVII., 6-9, a knife handle in Fig. 1 on the same Plate, and an oboe (*horanǣva*) in Fig. 11; Fig. 10 represents an *uḍakkiya*, or double hand drum (usually made of lacquered wood). I have also an inlaid sickle with an ivory handle, and an ivory flageolet. *Pacisi* pieces are made in ivory or horn, and distinguished by ornament of red or yellow lac. A typical turned ivory box is shown on Pl. XXXVI., 8, and horn pill-boxes on Plate XL., 15 and 16. The ivory boxes are used for jewellery, sometimes for medicine.