Sri Lankan Coconut Water Ladle

Carved Wood & Coconut Water Ladle (Kinissa)

This finely carved water ladle is based on the traditional ladle (kinissa) used in Sri Lanka both for ladling water for drinking purposes but also for ritual purposes, such as ladling holy water over a Buddha image for example.

It comprises a coconut shell bowl and a handle carved from a single piece of wood. Both the coconut and the wooden handle are beautifully carved and have a fine, blond patina.

The coconut is carved with floral, foliage and elephant motifs over its entire outer surface.

The bifurcated handle has a lower section carved as an undulating cobra, and an upper section that is carved with a female figure between two serpent heads. The eyes of each have black lac highlights to serve as pupils.

The novelty of this example suggests that it might have been produced for display at one of the exhibitions of arts produced in Britain’s colonies in the late 19th century.

The British Museum has several related but less ornate coconut and wooden ladles from Sri Lanka which were all acquired in 1898. Click

to see an example.

In terms of condition, the coconut has some old, minor, shrinkage-related cracks but these are stable. Otherwise, the ladle is in excellent condition and with a fine, honeyed patina.

Coomaraswamy, A.K., Mediaeval Sinhalese Art, Pantheon Books, 1956 reprint of the 1908 edition.

private collection, England.