About Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting (WSLSP)

This work brings together archaeological material relevant to the study of women during pre-colonial times in order to facilitate future research. The term ‘pre-colonial’ implies certain temporal and spatial boundaries. From the time period prior to the 16th century, art objects found throughout the country are represented. Regrettably, many art works from the north and east of Sri Lanka were not documented since ethnic tensions deterred travel in these areas during the time of the survey. However, some examples from these areas were available in the museums of Colombo and Anuradhapura and those images have been included in the project. A few slides were made from photographs from the Department of Archaeology in order to fill in gaps. Selections for the 17th and 18th centuries are confined to the Kandyan kingdom (1529-1815 A.D.). The parallel artistic expressions of the Maritime Provinces have been excluded from this survey, as these areas had already stepped into the colonial phase of Sri Lanka’s history by this time.

The slides are arranged chronologically within a thematic structure.