154 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



The Library of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic 8ociety, 

 which dates as far back as 1845, is also housed in the Museum. This 

 valuable collection, consisting of about eight thousand volumes, 

 forms a useful supplement to the Museum Library. Just as the 

 latter has specialized to some extent on zoological works, so the 

 Asiatic Society Library has very appropriately concerned itself more 

 with archaeology, ethnology, and history. 



The combined collections thus provide a representative, though 

 small, reference library, of which full advantage is taken by members 

 of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in the case of 

 the Society's Library, and by approved readers in the case of the 

 Museum Library. 



The main entrance of the Museum opens into the Central Hall, 

 the contents of which will be described later. In the meantime 

 we turn to the left, and reach the Stone Gallery either by way of the 

 verandah or through the Bronze Gallery. 



THE STONE GALLERY (Room A). 



The Stone Gallery occupies the extreme western portion of the 

 ground floor, and contains many fine examples of ancient Sinhalese 

 stonework obtained chiefly from Anuradhapura (437 B.C.-769 a.d.), 

 Polomiaruwa (769 A.D.-1319 a.d.), and Sigiriya (479 a.d.). 



Long before the da^^ai of civilization m Britain the Sinhalese had 

 stately palaces and cities. Anuradhapura, the greatest and most 

 ancient of the cities of Ceylon, was the capital of the Island 400 

 years B.C. 



Polonnaruwa (modem name, Topavewa) was made the capital 

 after Anuradhapura. " At the present day it is said to be by far the 

 most remarkable assemblage of rums m Ceylon, not alone from the 

 number and dimensions, but from the architectural superiority of 

 its buUdings." Polonnaruwa was plundered* by those msatiable 

 marauders, the Mala bars, several times, until finally abandoned in 

 1204 A.D. 



Sigiriya, which is considered to be one of the most remarkable 

 fortresses m the world , rises from the plain with perpendicular sides 

 to an estimated height of 500 feet. It was built m 477 a.d. by King 

 Kasyappa, the Parricide, who, after dethroning his father, Dhatu 

 Sena, stripped him naked, loaded him with chains, and caused him 

 to be built in a wall. The Parricide , oppressed with the fear that this 

 unnatural crime would be avenged, and haunted by its remembrance, 

 sought security by constructmg this " rock of refuge and making it 

 the capital of his kingdom." 



The exhibits in this room are chiefly carved out of gneiss, and 

 some of them are entirely of crystalline limestone. Among the more 

 notable archaeological treasures are the Stone Lion from PolonnaruAva , 

 the Yapahuwa Stone Window, the Medagoda Stone Pillar beliuid 

 the lion, the Lotus Stem Capital and Pillars, the cast of the gigantic 

 statue of Parakrama Bahu the Great of Polonnaruwa, the mystic 

 square stone called a Yogi Stone or Yantragala, Naga or Cobra 

 Stones portraying the seven-headed cobra in high relief, friezes and 

 capitals from the ruined cities, statues of Buddha, a cast of a 

 Processional Moonstone, and Lotus Moonstones. 



