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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XIX. 



think they had further time to devote to the cultivation of the 

 fine arts. It was impossible for any one familiar with the type of 

 ornaments and type of art in the Kandyan country to think the Por- 

 tuguese or Dutch influenced them. He would not go so far in connec- 

 tion with the low-country. The art of the low-country, which appeared 

 in all the household possessions — bits of jewellery their wives persuaded 

 them to buy, and the curiosities they bought themselves — throughout 

 showed the influence of European art. If they went to the 

 Kandyan country and went into the houses, it was however im- 

 possible to think they were in any way influenced by European 

 artists. The arts were essentially dissimilar. He boldly controverted 

 the statement made by Mr. Anthonisz that there was no Sinhalese 

 settlement in Colombo at the period he stated, and quoted authorities 

 in support of his assertion. In regard to images of Buddha, the Prince 

 Priest, P. C. Jinawarawansa, who was present, at the Meeting, told 

 him he had an image of Buddha in a state of Asceticism dated 300 

 years before Christ. 



Mr. Senathirajah felt it his duty to correct certain historical 

 inaccuracies in the remarks made by one of the speakers. It was said by 

 him that the Tamil influence on the art of Ceylon was only 1,000 years 

 old. The Mahdwansa said conclusively that the Tamil influence was 

 there from the very commencement. "Vijayo and 700 followers went 

 over the first time to Southern India to find wives, and it is recorded 

 in the Mahdivansa that they returned with palanquins and jewels, and 

 all these ornaments of olden times. The earliest laws and customs all 

 pointed to the fact that the Tamil influence was there from the 

 beginning. He claimed for the Tamil pundits the writing of a certain 

 Pali grammar. He would not venture to speak on the question of 

 Sinhalese art, because unless one had studied the subject carefully, 

 minutely, and scientifically, and unless they had compared the com- 

 parative details of modern and ancient Sinhalese art, it was mere 

 conjecture, and he was not prepared to participate in conjecture. 



Mr. D. B. Jayatilaka did not claim to be a Pali scholar, yet he 

 had some knowledge of Pali and had studied its literature ; but he had 

 never heard that Tamil pundits had ever written a Pali grammar. He 

 thought that no Pali grammar had ever been written by a Tamil. 



Mr. Senathirajah could quote his authority. The book is in the 

 Library here. He could not recall the name, but it states that the 

 earliest Pali grammar was by a Tamil Buddhist monk. 



Dr. Coomaraswamy, replying, agreed with Mr. de Silva in thinking 

 that it was not especially difficult to recognize the limits of European 

 influence on Sinhalese art ; it was generally, if not always, an influence 

 for the worse. 



With regard to the Sigiri paintings — he and Mr. Fernando were at 

 one in associating them with those of Ajanta, as first pointed out by 

 Mr. Bell. It was clear that two schools of art had existed in India, 

 viz., the Bharhut or idealistic, and the Ajanta or impressionist ; it was 

 just possible that native Ceylonese artists of the latter school existed 

 at one time in Ceylon, though it seemed more natural to suppose 

 that they were foreigners. In any case, however, it was clear that the 

 late mediaeval Sinhalese art referred to in the present Paper belonged 

 to the idealist school and had no historical connection with that of 

 Sigiri. 



