Sanuja Kasthuriarachchi Archives

A synthesis of native craft and European design-by RANDIMA ATTYGALLE A replica of a colonial time bedroom Source:Island Colombo National Museum’s new Furniture Gallery which displays a fine collection from the Kandyan kingdom and the colonial times, is soon to be opened to the public. We had a sneak-peak at the new gallery’s intricately designed ebony almirahs, four-posters, palanquins from the Kandyan times, cradles and Burgomaster chairs from the Dutch times and much more… The first impression of the Colombo National Museum’s new Furniture Gallery is that it’s a synthesis of the indigenous craft and that of the European genus. The 17th century Dutch grandfather clock which stands tall at the entrance to the gallery is juxtaposed with the traditional Kandyan laaksha-embelished centre tables. The richly ornamented Kandyan palanquins and finely crafted chairs inspired by the Dutch tradition, equally speak for the skills of the Lankan artisan who could navigate different ...

The Dutch Museum in The Pettah after Renovation-by Randima Atytgalle Source:Thuppahis Randima Atytgalle, in The Sunday Island, 28 July 2024 where the title reads “A monument to all things Dutch,” … while the photos are his work or that of Prof KD Paranavitana. The Dutch Museum in Colombo, located at Prince Street, Pettah, was closed for several years for renovation. It was reopened to the public early this month. The conservation project which is nearing completion hopes to restore this archaeologically protected monument to its former glory. More than a century since the Portuguese fortified Colombo, the city was lost to the Dutch in 1656 who remodeled the Portuguese fort. A new fortress or a citadel ringed by nine bastions, ramparts and deep moats replaced the original Portuguese-built Colombo Fort. The fort or kotuwa in the local language was known as the casteel or the castle by the Dutch. High-ranking Dutch officials lived in the casteel. Outside the Fort ...