Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c27.17

c27.17

Embroidered kerchiefs, napkins and shawls are met with. The kerchiefs and shawls may Shawls and have been worn on the head or thrown over the shoulders as an ura malaya. The most napkins elaborate shawl I have seen, indeed almost the only example, is illustrated on Pl. XXVIII., 4. This shawl, the property of the Daḷadā Māligāva, measures 49 inches square, the border two inches wide. The centre is occupied by drawn thread-work, the circles in blue, red, or silver thread. The inner border, a series of little trees, is done in gold thread, outlined Embroidery alternately in blue and red. The flowers of the outer border are red, with a gold centre; the leaves outlined blue. The shawl appears to consist of linen. Smaller kerchiefs or napkins are not so rare (Pls. XXVIII., 2, 3, and XXXIII., 4, 5); there are at the Māligāva a considerable number, ranging in size from 13 to 24 inches square. They are embroidered in red and blue. The material is usually cotton, occasionally linen. Fine drawn thread-work resembling lace is sometimes found, and round the outer edge there is sometimes a fringe of needlework ‘lace’ (Pl. XXVIII., 2 and 3). Very characteristic of these napkins is a peculiar style of embroidery in which both sides are made exactly alike (as in certain types of Kashmir shawl). The effect is evidently obtained by working in even stitches equal on back and front, with spaces between, which are afterwards filled when going over the work a second time. Many of the designs so worked resemble, and are perhaps copied from, the elaborate interlacing patterns of the woven cloth. The purpose of the small napkins was for use in covering offerings, and similar ceremonial purposes. On Pl. I., the left-hand figure represents an officer carrying some ceremonial object under an embroidered napkin, with tassels. So used, the napkin is called *pesa lensuva*.