GUIDE TO THE COLOMBO INEUSEUM. 159 



latter occurs, for example, on the Kongollewa Pillar* (placed near 

 to the Dondra Slab). 



Another slab in a corner of the verandah bearing a short Sinhalese 

 inscription, with representations of the sun (an orb) and moon (a 

 crescent), is called the Ehunugalla Slab ;f it records a benefaction 

 to a monastery. 



The Kotagama Tamil Slab must be mentioned. It is of "dressed 

 stone," with a Tamil inscription of the fifteenth century, from the 

 Kotagama Vihare. Mr. Bell, who discovered the inscription, 

 mentions the singularity of discovering a Tamil inscription in the 

 heart of a Sinhalese district. 



In this verandah will also be found the oldest " foreign " inscription 

 found in Ceylon. It is an inscribed stone in Chinese, Tamil, and 

 Arabic, dated 1409 a.d., in the reign of Emperor Young Lo of the 

 Ming Dynasty, found at Cripps road, Galle, 1911. 



THE BRONZE GALLERY (Room B). 



Opening out from the Stone Gallery is the Bronze Gallery, which 

 should next engage the visitor's attention. 



The bronzes in this room, which were excavated by the Archaeo- 

 logical Survey of Ceylon at Polonnaruwa and elsewhere, have been 

 much admired by connoisseurs and experts, and some of them have 

 been figured and described by such leading authorities on Indian 

 art as E. B. Havell, Vincent Smith, and Dr. A. K. Cpomaraswamy. 

 Most noteworthy is the collection of Hindu bronzes from Polon- 

 naruwa, which closely resemble in workmanship and design the 

 numerous bronzes which are scattered throughout Southern India. 

 Whether the Polonnaruwa bronzes were made by Indian workmen 

 in Ceylon or were imported from India is not clear. Indubitably 

 they belong strictly speaking to Indian art, and they have little in 

 common with contemporary Sinhalese art. This collection, which 

 is one of the best of its kind, has attracted experts from all parts of 

 the world. In regard to these bronze figures two features must be 

 recognized and considered if one is to properly appreciate them, 

 namely, " the fine sense of nervous pose and the persistent idealism." 



Case 1. 



This case contams, besides a heterogeneous collection of bronze 

 stands, finials, basins, bowls, &c., a large bronze kotale, or 

 drinking goblet, with the spout fashioned after the manner of an 

 elephant's head and trunk, which calls for special notice. This 

 goblet, which was obtained from Ratnapura, has been lent by 

 Mr. P. E. Pieris, CCS. A three-branched candelabrum from 

 Munnessaram, presented by the late Sir F. R. Saunders, and a 

 handsome bronze amphylla from Anuradhapura , are also note- 

 worthy. (See Plate VII.") 



* Miiller's Inscriptions, No. 112, p. 55. Kongollewa lies about two miles 

 north of Madawachchi, in the North-Central Province. 



t H. C. P. Bell, Report on the Kcgalla District, 1892, p. 76, with figure on 

 Plate facing p. 72. 



