The Exhibition Committee

By-Dr, K.M.Alexander.

                       Exhibition is the most important, powerful and directs visual communication in every museum. Every day large number of different people comes to museums to visit museum exhibitions. Therefore, there is a close relationship between exhibitions and museums audience. While museums have a wide range of potential public programmers, exhibitions tend to be the predominate form of communication between a museum and its public. Often the public’s perception of a museum is based on their experience of the exhibition inside. Exhibitions - in their content and character, in their space and facilities needs and in their development and operations - also have significant impact on a museum’s building and resources. The public is quite right to identify museums with displays. Although museums do have many other techniques to communicate with the public, their unique and special method is display.

The collections are the foundation for everything museum does. “Collecting” or “acquiring” conjure up the idea of actual objects being selected and added to the collection. Museum objects are collected because of what they stand for. This is most obvious in social history or ethnography collections, where each object represents a whole raft of knowledge and information about the time, place or culture from which it comes. So collections have a normal physical dimension but they also have an information dimension.(Suzanne 1996: 23) The first function of museums to appear historically was that of collection and collection remains the predominate reason for many a museum’s existence. “The heart of any museum is its collection”. (Guthe 1964: 34) Most museums collect because they believe the objects are important and evocative survivals of human civilization worthy of careful study and with powerful educational impact. Whether aesthetic, documentary, or scientific objects tell much about the universe, nature, the human heritage and the human condition. Museums thus carefully preserve their holdings so as to transmit important information to the present generation and posterity. (Alexander 1997: 119) The manner in which these collections are cared for, used and interpreted by the museum determines the museum’s standing among similar institutions and its success within its own community.

An exhibition may be defined as a show or display of materials for the purpose of communication with an audience, often the general public. The exhibits have different aims. In museums, they employ original objects to inspire or inform and incidentally to entertain audience by displaying objects or processes that illustrate the technological and artistic attainments. The specific goals of museum exhibitions involve the desire to change attitudes, modify behavior and disseminate the knowledge.

It is generally assumed that museum exhibitions incorporate collection objects or their representations as the primary channels of communication. These presentations are informational in content and intent. There are legitimate uses and reasons for this form of display, but by and larger, the uniqueness of museum exhibitions rests in their employment of the “real thing” intent or purpose lies with the exhibit maker. Exhibitions range from being either object - oriented at one extreme, to concept - oriented at the other. That is, either objects or messages predominate.

“An exhibition is a means of communication aiming at large groups of the   public with the purpose of conveying information, ideas and emotions relating to the material evidence of man and his surrounding with the aid of chiefly visual and dimensional methods” (Verhaar and Meeter 1989: 260) The definition by Verhaar and Meeter states some key elements in a museum meaning of exhibition. However, exhibition is more than simple a process of presenting things. It is also a collective activity with an overall goal of communicating a message or message - that medium or channel of expression.

There should be an exhibition mission in every museum. Thus museum should arrange their exhibition galleries according to their mission and nature of the museum.

Types of exhibits

              Exhibition may be categorized in various ways and in the museum context it is perhaps simplest to examine first exhibition modes and their characteristics and then to consider other aspects such as approach and style. There are:

• Permanent exhibitions
• Temporary exhibitions and special exhibitions
• Mobile exhibitions. (Belcher 1991: 44 - 47)

Permanent exhibitions –

Every museum has permanent exhibitions. Many of their collections, including their masterpieces and landmark objects are on display at all times. However for planning and design purposes it is important to know the intended life of an exhibition, as it will certainly affect decisions made on virtually all aspects of the design and content. The aims and objectives of a “permanent” exhibition may also differ from those of a short - term exhibition, although the basic communications functions will remain. In this context “permanent” has come to mean a minimum life of about ten years. Any proposal for a permanent exhibition must be considered in relation to a museum’s overall communications policy and plan, an important factor of which will be the exhibition budget.   

Temporary exhibitions –

If a temporary exhibition means a life of up to and around ten years, then temporary means something less. The intention of how much less needs to be started in the design brief but in practice will often be qualified by short, medium and long - term.

Short - term could be a day, a week or a month or two, depending on the museum’s exhibition programme and events. Medium term - might be three to six months – perhaps during an annual major summer or any period, it depending on the programme cycle. Long - term tends to be a designation applied when a space is to be filled without certain knowledge of the time when it is to be brought into a schedule and so is temporarily filled pending further development (Belcher 1991: 47)

Temporary exhibits on special themes may feature objects from the museum’s collection brought from storage or their usual display places, perhaps supplemented by loans from other museums and collectors. Sometimes museums arrange temporary exhibitions as educational programmes. Other special exhibits may consist chiefly of loans or of prepackaged displays obtained from a traveling exhibition service. Permanent and temporary exhibits are often much the same in their theme-centered plan, circulation layout and design techniques, sometimes, in fact a new museum will create a serious of temporary exhibits that are transferred to its permanent galleries with a minimum of revision. Yet temporary exhibits often justifiably use somewhat more theatrical display techniques because their points must be made more rapidly for viewers who will see the exhibit only once. (Julia 1998: 192)  

Mobile exhibitions –

Many museums of the world have been trying to reach audiences that do not come to their doors. Sometimes the big - city museum has developed outreach programmers to appeal to inner - city urban poor, ethnic or minority groups. In other instances, a state - supported museum in a capital city has taken programmers to small villages and remote rural areas. In developing countries with many illiterates, museum exhibits have provide invaluable in transmitting information on health, agriculture, modern science, ecology and social welfare. (Alexander1996: 189) The mobile museum exhibition system is so popular in many countries in the modern world because; museum management can provide a good publicity about their museum through this system. 

Meanwhile, some valuable objects are difficult to remove or bring to the museums or special places from the original places, because of various reasons. Most of the time they are very heavy, also, some time some ethnic groups don’t like to remove it from the original places. Also it is not suitable to remove from original place to other places. But they are valuable and unique objects for displaying and to develop as a museum. Therefore, we can develop these places as an open area or site museum exhibitions. There are living museums. Also some museums display their objects in open area or outside the museum due to various reasons. Some Eco - museum, eco systems and some special objects are displayed in the outside of the museum. For instance, - Soga Miaos’ Eco - museum, Tang’an dong’s Eco - museum and Sanjiang Dongs’ Eco - museums are famous museums in China. (China Eco - museum 2005: 24, 80 and 120) Those museums exhibitions can be interpreted as open area exhibitions or living museums.

Exhibition Methods

An overview of the exhibition planning process

As with exhibition media, the methods, skills and personnel involved in the creation of an exhibition vary widely. Further, exhibition planning has been the focus of museological discussion because of the public nature of exhibitions; the resources needed to create and operate exhibitions and the efforts by various professionals and specialists to define their changing roles in sometimes very complex processes. Art exhibitions differ greatly from science or history displays and blockbuster shows borrowed from other museums present challenges very different from those of an exhibition selected from storage. It is useful, however, to list some of the phases and decision points for exhibition planning in more general terms for a range of institutions and facilities. It is also informative that the phases of exhibition development parallel the phases of building and institutional development. Therefore, exhibition planning in the museum is a very complicated duty.

The phases of exhibition planning can be discussed under the following headlines.

·         Research

·         The exhibition proposal

·         The exhibition Committee

·         Exhibition planning and design

·         Exhibition production

·         Exhibition operation and evaluation

But I discuss in this paper the exhibition committee only

The Exhibition Committee 

The museum should then establish an exhibition committee, with representation from the following institutional functions or departments with the museum. Every committee should do their works together.

Administration Committee: To ensure that as the project develops, it remains within the mandate, scope and resources of the institution. The main objectives for the exhibition should not deviate substantively from those originally approved; also the production and installation of the exhibition must be scheduled into the overall operation of the institution.

Conservation Committee: To ensure that exhibition proposals do not pose potential risk to the collections and to review conservation implications such as duration of lighting, access to open exhibition components, case design and other physical collections factors. Condition reports, both of objects in the collection and loans, are a vital contribution of conservations

Curatorial Committee: As subject area specialists, as connoisseurs and as those responsible for primary access to the collections and research resource for the exhibition project, curators at the heart of the exhibition planning process. The selection of objects from the collection for the exhibition should be the curator’s responsibility. In the case of large-scale multidisciplinary exhibitions, more than one curator may be needed for a project.

Interpretation Committee: The primary concern of interpretative planning is to ensure that the exhibition communicates meaningfully to the public at all levels. Interpretative planners should be concerned with the development of a coherent and engaging exhibition script as well as the strategic use of various exhibition media. Because of their concern with meaningful communication, interpretative planners are also often tasked with ensuring the integration of front - end and formative evaluation results into project. 

Design Committee: To provide expertise in visual communication and the development and use of three - dimensional space and objects. Design functions range from overall design concepts and visual treatments an exhibition to the detailed specification of particular exhibits and systems. Exhibition design includes a range of skills as space interpretation, graphic design, theatrical presentations and drafting and documentation abilities. Design may be done in - house, or may be wholly or partially contracted to outside specialists.

Media specialists Committee: because of the new applications of advanced and sometimes digital media in exhibitions, it is often desirable to include media specialists such as film and video producers, optical experts, multimedia software creators and even specialists as robotics engineers. Consulting media specialists at an early stage can ensure that the exhibition pursues feasible and practical media options while not missing opportunities offered by these techniques and technologies. Initiating an early discussion with media specialists also promotes the appropriate integration of media-rather than using systems on an arbitrary basis.

Production and installation Committee: The museum’s capacity to produce and install an exhibition must be considered from the very outset - whether the institution is planning to produce the project in - hour or to contract outside specialist services. Again because of emerging new media options, it is often beyond the capacity of museums to provide all services in - house. However, the exhibition committee must ensure that it can meaningfully evaluate the work of all outside media suppliers.  

Documentation Committee: Collection management must be an integral part of exhibition development. The range of potential artifacts, work of arts or specimens to be used in an exhibition must be sourced and the location condition of all collections on display must be obtainable at any time. Including accurate and up - to date documentation records in a project is crucial for quantifying the scope and requirements of an exhibition. If objects are borrowed from other collections, the sequence of loan request, confirmations, condition reports, photography and eventual return documentation must be scheduled and systematically executed. For lenders who require that couriers must accompany their loans, additional arrangements must be made to accommodate them.

Education Committee: The integration of an exhibition into a museum’s educational programmes should begin at the earliest planning phases - where educationists are asked to comment on the educational potential of a proposed exhibition. As the project is developed, educators should review layouts and proposed designs to ensure that the spaces will include sufficient access for regular groups, workable adjacencies to classroom and workshop areas, as well as suitable group gathering spaces within the exhibition.

Publications Committee: Written material should accompany the exhibition as an important take - home additional to any exhibition. Visitors should have the opportunity to purchase some record of their experience of the museum’s exhibitions. These may be in the form of audio - visual, digital or print materials of various kinds and directed at various groups and education levels in addition to the traditional scholarly catalogue.

Public relations Committee: The initiative for an exhibition may be the result of an institution’s relationship with the public. The exhibition will certainly have an impact on members of the public. Therefore, the relationship between the museum and the public should be maintained and developed as the exhibition project develops, possibly through formative evaluation and previews of exhibition components. Public relations representatives should also be considering how the exhibition will function within the broader community - but considering public sensitivities and concerns, as well as creating the best approaches for communicating the exhibition to the public. The biggest the exhibition, the more important it is for public relations to be involved in the exhibition planning process early, so that they may make arrangements for television and another media (publicity).

Security Committee: As the exhibition is developed the security of the museum’s collections, the staff and visitors must maintain the security of the museum collections. This entails provision for security systems and procedures, the monitoring of exhibits, as well as ensuring that all exhibition proposals adhere to building safety and fire cords. Security officers should be included in the planning process to review sightlines into the galleries for surveillance, closed - circuit TV camera locations, and escape circulation routes.

The first priories of the exhibition committee representing all of the above areas of responsibility within the museum should establish its own meeting schedule, which may be less frequent at the beginning but should become more frequent as opening day nears and establish a critical path in which the contribution of each section is plotted and coordinated. Also they should agree on the quantitative and qualitative evaluation criteria and target markets for the exhibition (these should be reviewed and approved or revised by senior management) and establish working sub-teams for the detailed development of the exhibition.

Bibliography

Alexander, E.P; 1996, Museum In Motion, An Introduction to the History and Function of Museums, New York   

Alexander, E.P; 1997, The Museum in America Innovators and Pioneers, United State of America

Belcher, Michael; 1991, Exhibition in Museums, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington

China Eco - museum, 2005, Ed. Su Donghai, Forbidden City Publishing house China

Guthe, C. E; 1964, The Management of Small History Museum, American Association for State and local History, Washington

Julia, Bakke; 1998, The New Museum Registration Methods, Ed. Rebecca, A. Buck and Allman, Gilmore, American Association of Museums, Washington

Suzanne Keene; 1996, Digital Collection, Museum and the Information Age, New York

Verhaar, J. and Meeter, H; 1989, Project Model exhibitions, Leiden Reinwardt Academie, Leiden 

THE COLOMBO NATIONAL MUSEUM SRI LANKA.

By- Dr, K.M. Alexander,
Introduction

The Colombo National Museum of Sri Lanka was established on 1st January 1877 during the tenure of office of the British Colonial Governor Sir William Henry Gregory who ruled Sri Lanka from 1872 to 1877. This Museum was the first public museum in Sri Lanka. It is situated at Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha in Colombo 07. The Colombo National Museum belongs to the group of museums established in many South Asian countries in the latter part of the nineteenth century under British colonial period. It is not older than the Indian Museum in Calcutta, but it is almost contemporaneous with the National Museum in Singapore. It is however older than most museums in this region
When the National Museum was open in 1877 it had a collection of about 808 items of antiquities and about 384 Natural History Specimens. In 1986 when it was deemed that the exhibits relating to the natural heritage of the country were too numerous to be displayed in one building, the natural history collection was separated and house in another building which has come to be known as the National Museum of Natural History (The proposal to establish a Museum of Science and Technology-Sessional Paper 1976, 1-56).

The aim of the Colombo National Museum is to create a collection for purposes of documentation, cataloging, conservation, storage, research and exhibition of artifacts, specimens, books, and manuscripts, along with other documents on natural and cultural heritage, science and technology for the benefit of the people. The museum also conducts lectures, film shows, seminars and many educational programmes to disseminate knowledge pertaining to the history and culture of Sri Lanka and its national heritage.
Historical Background
The desire of the Ceylon branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon was used before independence in Sri Lanka, 1948) to have a permanent building in 1854 took in 1872 the form of more serious agitation for a public Museum culminating in a deputation being led before Governor Sir William Henry Gregory by Colonel A. B. Fyers, the President of the Society. Royal Asiatic Society was an organization that was formed among the Asian countries ruled by the British. Under this society there were separate branches for each colonial country. All the European officers serving public service in these countries under British Government were members of this society. The Society was founded in 1845 as the Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Island, known as the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in Sri Lanka. (International Association of Orientalist Librarians IAOL Bulletin (1998)43:9-17) .From 1815 to 1948 Sri Lanka was a colonial country ruled under British government. (The history of Ceylon, 1974, 161) It is reported that there was a large collection of antiquities and specimens of natural sciences gathered by the officers who served public service in different parts of rural areas in Sri Lanka during the British era. The Ceylon Branch of Royal Asiatic Society had possessed a large number of those antiquities and specimens of natural sciences in the year of 1850. Therefore the Royal Asiatic Society Ceylon Branch demanded the British rulers several times for a permanent place to keep and preserve these antiquities and specimens. The British government didn’t agree it at once because their main target was to gain maximum economical advantages of those countries. Mean while Sir William Henry Gregory was being appointed as The Governor of Ceylon in 1872, and The Governor being a man of erudition and scholarship himself, And who had a good knowledge of history, culture and natural heritage, was quick to appreciate this request (Silva; 1976, 39-40).
The Governor made a program including a sum of Rs.50, 000 under new public works for a Museum as the President of the Legislative Council on 25th September, 1872 and the speeches made by him both on this occasion as well as at the closure of the debate are particularly significant. Not only did he make a strong plea for a Museum but also outline its scope and its role in the life of the nation. This motion to establish a Museum by The Governor did not have an easy passage in the Legislative Council. Therefore the two speeches made by The Governor on this occasion are proof of his intellectual attainments and his admirable perception of cultural and aesthetic values. There appears to be on doubt that this occasion provided The Governor an excellent opportunity to express his deep knowledge on the subject, one which appears to have been very close to his heart. However Sir Gregory had to make a statement on the construction of the Museum building that every thing is done under his supervision at a low cost (Silva; 1976, 39-40).
The first reading of "An ordinance to provide for the establishment and regulations of a Public Museum in Colombo" was moved in the Ceylon Legislative Council on August 4th 1873 by the Council Secretary, Hon: Arthur N. Birch and seconded by the Queen’s Advocate, Hon: R.F. Morgan. At the second reading of the Bill which was taken up on the same month of 6th, The Bill was referred to a committee consisting of Hon: R. F. Morgan, the Queen’s Advocate, Hon: David Wilson, the Surveyor General and Mr. Chas Ferdinands. The recommendations of this committee were brought up at the Ceylon Legislative Council on September 3rd 1873 and the Bill was read for the third time and approved (Administration Report of the Director of Colombo National Museum, for 1877). .
The first building of the Colombo National Museum was an imposing and majestic two storey building designed in the Italian style by the architect of the then public works Department, James G. Smither. Construction of the building was probably commenced in 1874 and the work completed in 1876. The original building was surrounded by a seven acre piece of land in heart of the Colombo city. It is now among the historically rich monuments in the Colombo city. The National Museum of Colombo was opened for public on 1st of January in 1877. When the museum was opened it had about 1200 collection of antiquities and natural history specimens. Since then both these divisions developed so quickly, till 1970 after which the museum expanded step by step according to the necessity of the Museum. The Science and Technology Museum building was built in 1986 for nearly 95 years latter the first Museum Building was built. It consists of a large amount of specimens related to Zoology, Entomology, Botany and Geology. But the Technology Museum gallery has been opened for the public service since 2000 as a basic stage. Likewise another two buildings of four stories were opened in year of 2002 at the 125 anniversary of the Colombo National Museum. These building complexes consist of high quality antiquity stores, laboratories facilities and an auditorium (Colombo National Museum 125th Anniversary, 2002)
Former Directors
Dr. Amyrald Haly was appointed by the secretary of state as the first Director of the Colombo National Museum in 25th June 1875, before the Museum was opened. He worked with considerable zeal and devotion so that when he retired after 26 years (1877-1901) of dedicated service he had elevated the Colombo National Museum to international status. After that Dr.Arthur Willey (1902-1909) was the director. He launched a magazine of Spolia Zeylanica while he was the Director in power of the Colombo National Museum. Dr Arthur Willey was also appointed as a Marine biologist by the British government. Dr. J. Pearson (1901-1933) and Mr. A. H. M. Malpas (1993-1939) were directors of the Museum. Dr. Pearson and Mr. Malpas both served as the Government Marine Biologists. All of those directors were Europeans and as well as the Architect James G. Smither (Silva; 1976, 43-44).
The first Sri Lankan Museum Director was Dr. P.E.P. Deraniyagala who came to that post in 1939 and retired in 1963. He saw to the enactment of the National Museum Ordinance in 1942 which converted the Colombo Museum into a National Museum and allowed the establishment of Branch National Museums in the provinces, under the provisions of this Ordinance. He established branch museums at Kandy, Jaffana, and Rathnapura. All these Institutions were also brought under the administrative control of a new department, Department of National Museum. Director of the Colombo National Museum became the Director of the National Museum Department (Colombo National Museum Act 1942; No, 31). Since then native Sri Lankans became the directors in the Department of National Museum of Colombo.
The Department of Colombo National Museum could be considered as a place which is remembered eternally within the Museum tradition of Sri Lanka. This museum is not only exhibit antiquities but also a place where researches being carried out in the field of science. The institutional structure of the Department of Colombo National Museum is as follows.
Institutional Structure

The Department of Colombo National Museum

Museums Scientific and Research Sections Other Sections

Colombo National Museum Ethnology Section National Museum Library
Natural History Museum Anthropology Section Conservation Section
Entomology Section Education and Publication Section
Zoology Section Photography Section
Botany Section Micro Film Section
Geology Section Information Technology Section

There are few branch museums under the administration of Colombo National Museum Department in some provinces of Sri Lanka. National Museum Galle and Maritime Museum Galle (Galle town) in Southern Province Folk Museum Anuradhapura (Anuradhapura ancient city) in North Central Province, the Dutch Period Museum (Colombo City) in Western Province. (This Museum is housed in the old "Dutch House" which was earlier the residence of Count August Carl Ven. Ranzow .The Museum displays Dutch legacy through artifacts such as furniture, ceramics, coins, arms etc. All exhibition antiquities items were from Dutch in ancient time during their administration period (1767-1796) in Sri Lanka). Walisinhe Harischandra Memorial Museum, Katana (Negambo) in Western Province. National Museum Jaffna (Jaffna city) in North East Province witch is at present is not functioning due to the civil war (with Tamil Tiger Terrorist) prevailing in North East Province of Sri Lanka for more than 25 years.

Collections
                There are two main collections of museum objects in the Colombo National Museum in the fields of Ethnology and Anthropology in the Cultural Section. This cultural collection is a famous and an important part of the Colombo National Museum which reflects the identity of the Sri Lankan heritage. This large gathering of museums objects existing in various fields related to the Ethnology and Anthropology divisions are categorized in materialize wise and subject wise as follows.

Ethnological Anthropology
Stone Antiquities Agricultural Implements
Ivory Objects Traditional Marks
Bronze Objects Traditional Household Utensils
Brassware Traditional Indoor Games
Jewelers and Silverware Weights and Measures
Arms and Weapons Ritual Objects
Paintings, Prints and Maps Musical and Dancing Instruments
Pottery Indigenous Medicine Objects
Ceramics Traditional Mats
Wood Carvings Traditional Packing Materials
Furniture Objects used by Vadda (aborigines in Sri Lanka) Community


Exhibition galleries in the Colombo National Museum
1. Evolution of the Buddha Image
2. Pre Historical and Proto-Historical period in Sri Lanka
3. Historical periods in Sri Lanka
4. Coins and Currency
5. Craft of Sri Lanka
6. Ceramics ware
7. Regalia and Jewellery
8. Stone Antiquities
9. Ancient Lamps
10. Paintings
11. Traditional Marks in Sri Lanka
12. Furniture
13. Instruments of Traditional Music and Dancing
14. Puppetry
15. Agricultural Implements
16. Special Exhibition- The Heritage of the Sri Lanka Bronze Sculpture

The Colombo National Museum housed many exhibits exceeding over one thousand items that provided an insight to the history of the country. They presented a fine testimony to the glory and the grandeur of our ancient civilization. Most of these collections do not have parallels anywhere in the island. This museum possesses a number of exquisite sculptures of Sri Lanka, both in stone and in bronze. Most Significant among them is the large Samadhi Buddha Image which was found in Toluvila, an ancient Archaeological site near Anuradhapura in North Central province. This is one of the best preserved ancient Buddha image so far found in Sri Lanka. Some of other wonderful items in stone in the museum are the rock inscriptions. These show the evolution of the Sinhala script from Brahmi script. Among other items of interest are Guard Stone, Moon Stone, plaques and stone pillars. These could be considered as unique creations of the stone sculpture in Sri Lanka (Colombo National Museum, Department of National Museum, 2000).

The stone gallery of the Colombo National Museum is as old as the Museum itself as it was declared open to the public in 1877 during the governorship of Sir Henry William Gregory, whose enthusiasm resulted in a continuous propose of collection significant stone artifacts that remained in the jungle of ancient cities like Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa in North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The artifacts thus gathered, ranging from religious icons(Buddhist and Hindu), architectural members of edifices, architectonic and decorative sculptures, historic documents in the form of stone pillar and slab inscriptions of old Sinhalese, Tamil, Arabic, Portuguese, Dutch, and British, household utensils, etc., constituted a medley, concealing their significance. Buddhist sculpture include in Icons of Buddha, Bodhisattva and other divinities, Symbols (foot prints and relic caskets)decorative elements of the flights of steps of ancient monuments(guard stones, Moonstone and balustrades) directional animals etc. In Hindu section includes Hindu god-heads of Shiva, Vishnu and other Gods of Hindu, among the collection of stone (Prematileke Leelananda; 2006, 1-2).

Decorative sculptures mainly consist of freezes of processions with dancers and drummers, rows of dancing dwarfs, lions and elephants, votive offerings, slabs etc., while Architectural members include beautifully decorated array of pillars, doorways, windows, railings, urinals etc. The stone epigraphs of the Stone Gallery are excellent historical documents of on mean significance. (Prematileke Leelananda; 20063).

The seated Buddha image from Badulla in Uva Province, the Bodhisattva Image from Veheragala in North Central Province and the Goddess Tara and Siva Nataraja are some of the beautiful unique Buddha and Hindu icons among the collection of Bronze.

The collection of Ivory carvings preserved in the Colombo National Museum is perhaps the best to be seen in any museum in the world. The seated and stand Buddha Images, Kings and Queens Figures, decorated motifs and flowers, ancient medical instruments, decorated combs, decorated boxes with ivory carvings and various types of antiquities are among the collection of the ivory carvings.

Some of the most popular exhibits are the Gold Throne of the last king of Kandy period, (Last King of Sri Lanka) the Crown, the Sword, and the Footstool of King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe and the Jacket of his Queen. The King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe ruled Sri Lanka from 1778-1798 AD (Karal Liyadda; 2003, 4). In colonial time these superior Royal antiquities were taken to Britain. In 1934 The Throne, The Crown, The Sword and The Footstool of last King of Kandy which since his deposition in 1815 had rested at Windsor Castle were returned to Sri Lanka. These Royal objects came subsequently to be deposited at the Colombo National Museum.

The collection of ancient coins from 3rd Century B.C. to the contemporary times exceeds over sixty thousand in the Colombo National Museum. It was probably the best collection of ancient Sri Lankan coins. (Codrington; 1924, 1-40)

A large number of valuable paintings representative of traditional Art of Sri Lanka are on display in the Colombo National Museum. Among them are the paintings belonging to the traditional styles of Sigiriya, Hindagala, Polpnnaruwa and Kandy as well. It affords a fine sampling on the development of art in Sri Lanka from Anuradhapura to Kandy Period. Sigiri paintings are the famous frescoes in 5th century AD of Sri Lanka as well as some paintings of Hindagala. Polonnaruwa paintings belong to 12th century in Polonnaruwa period. Kandy paintings belong to 17- 18-19 centuries AD in Sri Lanka.

A wonderful collection of folk arts and crafts too are on exhibition. These crafts depict the daily life of the Sri Lankan people through the ages. Among them are the Kolam and Masks connected with traditional dancing as well as large number of musical instruments.

Special Exhibition

The exhibition named Heritage of "Bronze Sculpture in Sri Lanka" opened in 1995 is still on. It includes a vast number of superior art work connected with the ancient culture of Sri Lanka. This is a must for all those who wish to get a glimpse of Sri Lankan culture and art. These artifacts on display to large appreciate audience in many foreign countries were brought back to Sri Lanka and are on display attracting appreciative comments from the Local visitors as well as visitors from abroad.

Museum Library

The National Museum library was open on the same day as the Museum established on 1st January 1877. The idea of establishing a library was contemporaneous with that of the Museum and the discussions in the Legislative Council on the establishment of the Museum also included the establishment of the Library. The Government Oriental Library (1870) was incorporated in to this library. At the beginning it possessed government oriental books collection and the Royal Asiatic Society Ceylon Branch books collection (Silva; 1976, 78). This is a pioneering library in South Asian countries. The museum has entire range of documents from the first works of 1737 to the latest publication. It has over one million titles now including a large number of rare books and periodicals.

Bibliography
Administration Report of the Director of Colombo National Museum, for 1877
Arsarathnam; S., 1996, Dutch Power in Sri Lanka 1658-1687, Colombo
Codrington; H.W., 1924, Ceylon Coins and Currency, Colombo
Colombo National Museum Act 1942, No 31
Colombo National Museum125th Anniversary 2002
Department of Colombo National Museum 2002
De Silva; P.H.D.H., 1976, Colombo Museum Hundred Years 1877-1977 Souvenir, Colombo
Encyclopedia Americana: Vol.16, New York, 1950
International Association of Orientalist Librarians IAOL Bulletin (1998)43
Karal Liyadda; S.B., 2003, The Last King of Kandy, Colombo
Prematilaka Leelananda., 2002, The Stone Gallery of the National Museum Colombo
The History of Ceylon, 1974, Ed. Donald Ferguson. New Delhi, India
The Proposal to Establish a Museum of Science and Technology-Sessional Paper 1970