Description

An antique Sinhalese walking cane, made of a light and relatively flexible rattan. It is lacquered in a style known as "Mātale work" or Niyapoṭen vēda (නියපොටෙන් වේද) or "finger-nail work". This distinctive type of lacquer is applied entirely without the use of brushes.

For an in-depth article on this type of work, see my article: Sinhalese lacquer work.

The top is capped with a detachable gilt-copper cap with floral engravings.

Decoration

The decoration at the very top consists of stylized petals, called palā peti. Then collor plain lines; ādāra-koṇḍu, and dots; bin̆duva. Then follows a band of circles and squares called dẹla, or "net".

Then follows various plain sections with black or red background, decorated with bands of ādāra-koṇḍu and bin̆duva, and one more instance of dẹla on a black background.

One decorative element appears twice and eludes classification at this point: It consists of a series of wavy lines in yellow and red on a black background. The effect somewhat resembles marbling in books.

Condition

Some damage to the lacquer here and there, but generally in fairly good shape.