Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c23.1

c23.1

THE lac-workers, or *ī-vaḍuvō*, literally arrow-makers, belonged to the lower division of the *ācariyō*, being essentially turners. They generally did both the wood-turning and the ornamentation necessary for the work expected of them, such as bows, arrows, spears, staves, bed-legs, handles of cressets, banner poles, etc. Some idea of their relative numbers may be gathered from the fact above mentioned (p. 55) that amongst ninety-eight craftsmen forming the *Koṭṭal-badda* contingent of the Four Kōrales there were fourteen *ī-vaḍuvō*, of whom two worked in the armoury, presumably as assistants to the regular craftsmen of the *paṭṭal hatara*.