Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c38.2

c38.2

Many interesting details should be observed. The Prince is dressed in the traditional royal costume of a king or dēva, not in the actual costume worn by the eighteenth century Kandyan kings. In other respects the picture fairly represents a Kandyan State procession. The five attendants, beginning from the left, carry respectively something, perhaps an offering, covered by a napkin (*pesa-lēsuva*); a *sēsata* with lacquered handle; *sanda koḍaya* (?); *mutu kuḍaya* and *vaḍana talatta*. The sixth and seventh attendants are half hidden; the eighth is the elephant-keeper, carrying the goad (*henḍuva*), his lower caste indicated by his darker colour. The goad has a lacquered handle. The Prince has ready to hand a smaller goad (*aṅkusa*). Then follow two attendants carrying emblems of authority, and another with a white flag (*suḍu koḍiya*), with a little streamer (*savarama*). In the second scene, on the extreme right, the Prince is seen pouring water from a *kenḍiya* into the hands of the Brahmans, who come next in the original, in ratification of the gift; immediately behind him is his chief attendant or minister, distinguished by the *bōralaya* worn upon the *vaṭa toppiya* which the others wear alone. The elephant’s trappings, described in the *jātaka* as priceless, are also to be noted, especially the alternate red and yellow cloth lappets in the form of *bō*-leaves, the jewelled anklets and ornament, worn upon the frontal lobes and over the eyes. The lotus rosettes (*nelum-mal*) are used decoratively to fill out the space evenly, but have nothing to do with the picture. The first of these is of the form in which the outer ring of petals is replaced by a whorl of cobra heads.