KANDYA'N HORN COMBS. 



153 



in-dwelling or guardian spirit ; but in other examples the lower 

 part of the figure is fully developed, and the dress carefully 

 indicated (as for example on an embroidered betel bag in our 

 possession), and the pattern is a good deal less suggestive of a 

 mythological origin ; it seems likely, however, that it may once 

 have had a symbolical significance of the sort suggested. The 

 design is a very usual one and is found on all sorts of Kandyan 

 decorative work. 



A still more elaborate comb is seen in fig. 5, PL C; this 

 unusually large comb is carved and pierced with a hcmsa putuva 

 design (geese with intertwined necks), and four heads of w^aZr/ras 

 in the corners, and inlaid as well with ivory pegs, square for one 

 bird and round for the other. This hansa puhwa is also a well 

 known Kandyan design ; it may be found for example on such 



Fig. II. — Carved aud pierced horn comb, Ratnapiiru District, X fi- 



various things as key plates, embroidered betel bags, and painted 

 pottery. It will be seen that these decorated horn combs are 

 striking and appropriate in character, and varied and individual 

 in their ornamentation, and it is a reproach to the modern 

 Sinhalese that there is now-a-davs so little demand for good home- 

 made wares of this or any kind. 



Note. — Since this paper on Horn Combs was written it has 

 occurred to us that the ndri lata design so frequently seen in 

 Kandyan decorative art may possibly be derived from the early 

 representations of the goddess Siri (Lakshmi), seated on a lotus 

 and holding lotus flowers in either hand. If so, the abundance 

 of foliage is a late rather than a primitive feature ; but its 



