Sri Lankan Ivory Panel

Carved Ivory Panel

This plaque is carved from a single piece of ivory. Possibly, it is central panel of a comb and its teeth have been removed. But the plaque does not seem to sufficiently taper at its top and bottom to the degree of thinness demanded by fine teeth, nor is there any sign of any teeth having been cut away, so it seems more likely that it is a panel that possibly was intended for an architectural piece such as a door frame or an article of furniture. Currently, the plaque is housed in an early ebonised frame, from which is can freely slip in and out. The frame has a small loop at the top suggesting that it was hung on a wall.

The plaque comprises a central panel and one on each side. The central panel shows a deity holding a lotus stem in each hand – a possible allusion to Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and beauty. The deity is carved in the form of a

nari-leta, or mythical celestial jungle nymph, rising out of a ‘cloud’ of foliate scrolls. The panels on each side show attendants each standing on low double-lotus platforms.

The reverse is decorated with the front views of the figures so that in reality, the plaque has no obvious front or back and can be viewed equally from either side. The style of carving evokes that on wooden panels at the 14th century Embekke Devale meeting hall near Kandy in central Sri Lanka.

Pierced borders of repeated flower motifs decorate the top and bottom of the plaque. A similar pierced border can be seen on an ivory casket made in Sri Lanka and attributed to the 17th century, and illustrated in (Jordan & Beltz, 2010, p. 77).

Traces of the black polychrome are present in the fine grooves of the dresses of the deities.

The plaque is similar to that of a comb in the Rijksmuseum Volkenkunde in Leiden, the Netherlands, which has a central panel featuring a Lakshmi-like deity. (see the photograph below). This example originally was from the Royal Cabinet of Rarities of the Dutch King William I (b. 1772-1843). The Museum says that it does not know how the comb came to be in the cabinet but has given it a dating of 1750-1880 (Rijksmuseum Volkenkunde, 2013, p. 56). The comb, however, is almost certainly a great deal earlier than that given the other related examples.

In the seventeenth century, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) was found to have the best known cinnamon trees in the world. The demand for the spice in Europe saw an inflow of significant riches to Sri Lanka. The demand for luxury goods among the Ceylonese elite grew dramatically and exquisitely carved ivory goods were created to meet this demand. Many were given as wedding gifts but also were presented to visiting dignitaries. Soon, it was realised that Sri Lankan luxury goods could supply the demand in Europe for the exotic and so Sri Lanka’s artisans found another source of demand for their output.

The plaque here is remarkable for the quality of its carving and its perfect condition.