In the charming coastal town of Ambalangoda, nestled along the southern shores of Sri Lanka, one discovers a captivating tradition that has been handed down through generations: the creation of traditional masks. These masks are not mere pieces of art; they are a portal to the island’s rich cultural heritage and spiritual essence.
Carved from lightweight wood, such as kaduru (devilwood), these masks are brought to life with vibrant colors that depict various characters from Sri Lankan folklore and religious tales. Each mask tells a story, and as you delve into their enigmatic expressions, you embark on a journey through the island’s myths, legends, and rituals.
In a charming hut shaded by woven palm leaves, where wood shavings carpet the floor and the warm scent of kaduru wood fills your nostrils, lies a new lump of timber – a mask maker’s canvas.
What mask will this piece yield? A Sanni demon mask for healers in their ‘devil dance’ disease exorcism rituals? The pox-faced Gedi Sanniya, demon of boils and skin diseases? Or the snaggle-toothed Jala Sanniya, demon of cholera and chills? Or will it be a wild-eyed Raksha dancing mask? Perhaps the vivid blue-green peacock demon, Mayura Raksha, which brings peace, harmony and wealth. He feels the wood’s bumps and curves, searching for the character.
In the workshop next door, his friend is singing as his fine, cat-hair paint brush outlines the comical features of ‘the village washerman’, and then the red-painted smile of ‘the village beauty’ – character masks for performers of a popular kolam folk drama.
He picks up a chisel. It slots comfortably into chisel-worn grooves in his hands – the same hands, with the same chisel-grooves, as his father, and his grandfather, and his great-grandfather… He places it against the wood and raises his mallet.
‘Muhunu’ at 33 Lake Terrace, is named after these intricate carved wooden character masks worn by local actors preforming in the kolam folk dramas loved by villagers across the southern Sri Lanka. The masks decorating the walls – all depicting the faces of royalty – are created by a master carver called Manjula, a humble man with a small workshop close by who has won awards for his exquisite work. They are carved from the light Balsa-like wood of Kaduru trees, which grow in the marshy lands bordering paddy fields, and have then simply been white-washed rather than painted for a more natural look. The grand king size bed and other pieces of furniture were all designed in the traditional Dutch-Sri Lankan colonial style.
As you stand in this room, you can almost hear the rhythmic tapping of the chisel against wood, a tradition passed down through generations, connecting the mask-maker to his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Feel the history in the air, and let the stories behind these masks whisk you away into the heart of Sri Lanka’s vibrant culture.