An Experimental Study of Traditional Botanical Decorations in Kandy Period

Abstract

Trees, plants, vines, lotuses, petals of lotus, creeper designs, and tendril designs are used creatively to decorate a place or object are called botanical decorations. Sapumal, lilies, flowers, garlands, etc. can be known as decorations made from the natural environment. Kadupulmal, Seena Mal, Parasathumal, Kathiramal, etc. can be introduced as botanical decorations that are created imaginatively. Traditional Sinhala botanical decorations consist of both these parts. Designers use botanical decorations in paintings, sculptures, carvings, and architecture. Divine images and imaginary animal images indicate surprise and amazement. This research aims to examine what kind of communication is provided by botanical decorations, and the research problem is to investigate what the designer expected from the traditional botanical decorative designs in the paintings of Kandy period. The main objective of the research is to study the use of lines, creativity, purpose, and placement of botanical decorations in the art of botanical design. The sub-objectives of the research were to identify the colours, brushes, and techniques used. Primary data were collected through the field studies conducted in Kandy area, and printed and non-printed research books and research papers, and printed and electronic sources such as newspapers, magazines and videos, pictures, etc. were used to obtain secondary data. The hypothesis of the research is that ''In botanical decorations, attention has been paid to their shape, colour, shape and naturalness based on the enjoyment of the viewer". In the book 'Parani Sinhala Chitra Mosthara', first printed in 1940 by T. U. De Silva, Parasathumala and Kadupulmala are presented with images. However, no inquiry has been made about their values. Apart from this, books by L.T.P. Manju Sri, Nandadeva Wijesekara, Ananda Coomaraswamy, S.P. Charles, and other primary and secondary sources were utilised. The limitation of the research was trees, vines, and flower designs found only in the paintings of the Kandy period. In this era, the designer used botanical decorations taken from the natural environment, not to convey a didactic message. The designer has intended to create happiness in the viewer's mind with the botanical decorations. In addition, botanical decorations have been used as a strategy to fill the gaps in the main design and to bring Buddhist people to the temples.