The Story of Furniture in Sri Lanka

Description

History of Religious, Secular and Domestic Furniture in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) 3BCE to 18CE

What did chairs, chests, and temple fittings look like in Sri Lanka across two thousand years — and what do they tell us about faith, power, and everyday life?

In The Story of Furniture in Sri Lanka, Ayesha Abdur-Rahman, PhD, takes readers through that story in clear chronological order. She looks at stone and representational furniture, Kandyan work, and colonial-era pieces, showing how design, use, and culture shaped each other. Drawing on extensive field research, the book covers monastic stone furniture, courtly and domestic furnishings, and the mixed styles formed by Sri Lankan, South Indian, and European traditions. It also features the Velivita Sri Saranankara Museum collection and the craftsmanship of the colonial period.

Richly illustrated and carefully researched, this hard-cover volume is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Sri Lanka’s furniture heritage and cultural history.