Gautama Buddha (c. 563/480 – c. 483/400 BCE), also known as Siddhārtha Gautama (सिद्धार्थ गौतम) in Sanskrit or simply the Buddha, after the title of Buddha, was a monk (śramaṇa), mendicant, and on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. He is believed to have lived and taught mostly in the northeastern part of ancient India sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries.]

Gautama taught a Middle Way between sensual indulgence and the severe asceticism found in the śramaṇa movement common in his region. He later taught throughout other regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Kosala.

Gautama is the primary figure in Buddhism. He is believed by Buddhists to be an enlightened teacher who attained full Buddhahood and shared his insights to help sentient beings end rebirth and suffering. Accounts of his life, discourses and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarised after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition and first committed to writing about 400 years later.

Wooden Masks and ornaments are produced in the South western coastal belt of Sri Lanka. The city of South costal has a long heritage in the specialized handicraft of producing Wooden mask & ornaments. Wooden crafts in a wide range of sizes in vibrant colors are made of the timber locally called “Kaluwara”  (Ebony), Mahogainy (Rose wood) or ‘Kaduru”.  Kaduru tree that grows in marshy lands bordering paddy fields is light and soft making it an ideal material to turn out wooden handy crafts.  Mahoginy (Rose wood) and Kaluwara (Ebony) are expensive wood and it is a special wood.

The technique of producing masks has been passed from generation to generation from the ancient times. The logs are dried in the hard tropical sun till the timber is evaporated the moisture and then cut into pieces of the required sizes.

Then the basic shape of the craft is fashioned by means of chisels and mallets out of the cut piece of the log accordingly to the measurements given in ancient recorded instructions of seasoning the timber. The seasoned piece of timber is carved, smoothened and painted. The Wooden craft has it’s each with its distinctive features and colors, are carved to depict gods, humans, demons and beasts.

Carved wooden furniture and household items is also a popular buy amongst locals and foreigners alike.                                          

The masks displayed here are modern, carved from a soft wood that is similar to balsa wood.

Made out of Sri Lankan fine wood.

Dimensions (inch) (W x H):  4  x  10