Sinhalese pihiya
A beautiful black coral hilted example, made in the King's workshops.
A Sinhalese kirichchiya
A rare type of Sinhalese dagger with stylized bird hilt and blade with backedge.
Sinhalese coral hilted knife
Also known as piha-kaetta, this is more correctly a pihiya.
Fine piha kaetta with velvet scabbard
A very fine example with beautifully chiseled silver pommel plate.
A very good ul-pihiya
A Sinhalese knife with lavish silver mounts and overlay.
A fine, heavy piha kaetta
Of the chopper variety, with a finely carved ivory hilt.
Kirichchiya (කිරිච්චය)
Sinhalese word for a type of dagger.
Sinhalese kirichchiya
With carved horn hilt and characteristic finger guard.
An early "piha-kaetta"
Of nice quality, with unusual openwork silver bolster with serapendiya.
Sérapéṅdiya
Sinhalese term for a mythical bird.
Very fine Sinhalese kasthāné
With parcel gilding and ruby eyes, in a fine silver repousse scabbard.
Sinhalese ul-pihiya
A rare example retaining its original silver covered scabbard.
Kaḷas-daṉgaya.
Sinhalese term for a decorative motif that consists of a mesh-like pattern with floral elements. Also called koḷa vẹla.
Koḷa vẹla
Sinhalese term for a decorative motif that consists of a mesh-like pattern with floral elements. Also called kaḷas-daṉgaya.
Tani binduva (තැනි බින්දුව)
A Sinhalese decorative motif in lacquer that consists of simple diamond shapes.
Bō-koḷa
Sinhalese term for a decorative motif that resembles the leaf of a sacred fig tree.
Dẹla
Sinhalese term for a decorative motif that consists of a mesh of lines resembling a net.
Sinhalese lacquered cane
Description
An antique Sinhalese walking cane, made of a light and relatively flexible rattan.
A Sinhalese knife
Rarely seen today, a commoner's example with carved, bone hilt.
Usa dunna (උස දුන්න)
Sinhalese name for their longbow. Literally: "high bow".
Maha dunna (මහා දුන්න)
Sinhalese term for a longbow. Literally: "great bow".
Ītala (ඊතල)
Sinhalese word for "arrow".
A fine Sinhalese bow
Made in the Four Workshops of the King of Kandy.
Dunna (දුන්න)
Sinhalese word for "bow".
A Sinhalese lacquered bow
With classic cinnabar red, yellow, green and black lacquered decoration.
Sinhalese lacquer work
Sri Lankan craftsmen used methods of applying decorative lacquer that did not involve a brush to great effect.
Suli Vẹla
A Sinhalese decorative motif that consists of circular vines.
Niyapoṭen vēda
A type of Sinhalese lacquer work that was directly applied without using brushes. Also known as Mātale work.
Mātale work
A type of Sinhalese lacquer work that was directly applied without using brushes. Also known as niyapoṭen vēda.
Lanu-daṉgaya
Sinhalese term for a decorative motif that resembles knotwork.
Palā peti
Alternative Sinhalese term for a decorative motif consisting of stylized petals.
Pahade
Sinhalese term for a decorative motif consisting of stylized petals. Also known as palā peti.
Paṭṭal Hatara
The Four Workshops of the King of Kandy.
Ī-vaḍuvō
Literally "arrow-makers", a Sinhalese class of craftsmen that did wood turning and lacquer work.
Patura
Sinhalese term for a decorative motif that consists of elongated triangles with two sides of equal length.
Binduva (බිඳුව)
A Sinhalese decorative motif in lacquer that consists of diamond shapes.
Gal-bindu (ගල් බින්දු)
A Sinhalese decorative motif in lacquer that consists of diamond shapes.
Ādāra-koṇḍu
A Sinhalese decorative pattern that consists of plain lines.
Vẹlpota
A Sinhalese decorative motif.
Sinhalese patisthānaya
A very fine example retaining its original lacquered shaft.
Patisthānaya
A Sinhalese processional polearm.
Patisthāna
Alternative name for a Sinhalese processional polearm. See patisthānaya below.
Gal-mita pihē
Sinhala term for fancy knives. Literally "stone handled knife".
Thuda
Sinhala for the point of a sword blade.
Agissa
Sinhala term for the edge on a sword blade.
Peeli
Sinhala for grooves on a blade. (Fullers).
Isa
Sinhala for "blade".
Kadu patha
Sinhala for "blade".
Alluva
Sinhala for side plates on a sword.