Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c24.54

c24.54

Incised ornament, if more than a mere concentric line, is usually combined with the red Incised striped painting. The pot is allowed to get very hard and dry and the pattern then engraved Ornament on the red bands with a sharp tool. Pl. XXV., 2, shows a kaḷageḍiya so treated. This vessel is ornamented with alternate concentric stripes of red and gray; the incised ornament (Fig. 137, A) is cut on the red bands, of which the uppermost has geometrical forms only, the middle a conventional branch or vine (veḷa), and the ornament on the lowest red band consists of fishes alternating with a sort of inverted trident; on a still lower zone, a few upright lines appear in widely separated groups. The pattern after burning stands out on the lighter colour of the plain clay, against the darker red due to the gurugala paint. Highly finished water vessels (kaḷageḍi) are made at Keḷaniya, and on these the incised decoration reaches its highest level of design and execution. It is usually made conspicuous by an infilling of kaolin after firing. Fig. 137, B.-D., shows part of the incised ornament on such pots. The remarkably Greek appearance of these designs will be remarked. The Keḷani pottery is much appreciated, and as already stated travels far and wide. There is also made a great variety of grotesque animals, toys, money boxes, &c., which hardly call for further notice on the present occasion.