Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting

Women in music and dance

Women in music and dance: Music and dancing were considered special accomplishments of women. Appearing as they do in temple sculpture and painting, it is mostly the devotional aspect of these art forms that is represented. However, one does also notice the purely decorative use of the female dancer in art. The expression of bhakti or devotion through music and dance is common to both Buddhist and Hindu forms of worship. Their incidence is more pronounced in the Polonnaruva and post-Polonnaruva periods.

Sirima Kiribamune

Period of study: 1986-1987

Version: 01/12/2012

Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha

Technical Officer: Wijesinghe, Lalith

Technical Assistant: Jayasundare, Subhashini

Photographer: Madanayake, I.S.

International Center for Ethnic Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation

American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies, Colombo

All rights reserved by International Center for Ethnic Studies, Sri Lanka.

Forms part of Photographic documentation of Women as depicted in early Sri Lankan sculpture and painting / Slide in present collection

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PDWESLSP.S.104

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