An undying tradition

Standing under the shade of a few trees that line the busy streets of Colombo, one can catch a glimpse of a few enthusiastic traders awaiting eagerly for customers to purchase the traditional Sri Lankan brassware that they sell. Whilst the sun rays filter through and fall on the brassware, it adds to the attractiveness of the objects on display.

On the shady stretch of Bauddhaloka Mawatha, formerly called Bullers Road, stand many stalls which sell these items, of which when one catches a glimpse, looks like an oasis of gold; it's an island of brassware.

D. T. Gunathilake, hailing from Pilimathalawa, has been involved in the family business in the brass industry from his early childhood. He initially started out at the factory, but six years ago moved to selling the items.

A father of two children, Gunathilake said that since this is a family business he usually manages to visit his family at least once a month. "My family has been involved in this traditional craft for more than 40 years and I really don't see myself doing anything else."

However, M. G. Ranaweera, who worked in a hotel previously, decided to get involved in the brassware industry only after his marriage. "My wife is related to the owner of the brass making factory, hence I decided to work for them," said Ranaweera, a father of one daughter.

The street stall holds many traditional items like oil lamps, elephants, ash-trays, vases, statues of Lord Buddha and many other ornamental items. Varying from a few inches to about five feet is the traditional oil lamp which is mainly used at weddings and other functions. Often these items are used for ornamental purposes as brassware adds a touch of richness to any interior decor.

M. G. Ranaweera	G. T. Gunathilake

All these items are transported from Pilimathalawa, which is about 100 Km from Colombo, where the brass industry is believed to have existed from the time of the Kandyan Kingdom. The village of Pilimathalawa is well - known for its manufacturing of brass handicrafts and the village takes pride in this industry.

The know-how of making these traditional handicrafts have been handed down from generation to generation from the time of the kings who ruled Sri Lanka and even today the traditional tools like the hammer and chisel are still being used to turn out the intricate patterns by hand.

"The traditional oil lamp that stands at five feet six inches, which is the tallest, takes about 17 days to be completed and comes in nine different pieces that are fitted together," said Gunathilake. He added that most of the items are made with the use of machinery other than the intricate handwork.

Meanwhile, he said that an elephant that weighs about 25-30 kilos takes about 20 days since it is done by hand. First, they mould clay in two separate halves into the shape of an elephant, and thereafter brass is put over the clay and are welded together.

Although their items take the battering of the sun and rain, in order to catch the eye of the customer they have to maintain the brassware by polishing them on a regular basis.

"We polish a few items everyday so that all items get polished at least once in every 10 days," said Ranaweera, adding "if we neglect the items we would not be able to draw the attention of the people."

Ranaweera also said that their factory supplies their wares to other handicraft outlets, other than to the stalls on the streets. "About once a month the items are transported to Colombo in a lorry and delivered according to the requirement of the particular seller."

The sellers claim that although brassware is a unique item to own, they have seen their sales dwindling during the past few years, mainly due to the fact that tourists seem to be patronizing the better known shops and hardly any attention is paid to the street stalls. Also people feel it is time consuming to maintain these items.

"We experience high sales during the Sinhala New Year and the rest of the time we have to depend on people who buy gifts for weddings etc.," said Gunathilake.

In addition to selling brassware, they polish brass items of people who are not able to maintain them. "If we are unable to do it at our stall, we send it or take it to our factory and bring it back in a few days," he said.

Given the fact that brassware has been an essential part of many an ancestral family home in Sri Lanka, the traders hope that the demand will continue to grow over the years and that brassware will continue to be a part of the Sri Lankan culture.

Gunathilake and Ranaweera say that they have hopes that with time the demand will grow. They said that they will continue to try and make their little contribution in helping with the continuance of one of the oldest handicraft industries from their little nook in the city, and do their utmost not only to sell their products, but show the importance of continuing the legacy of this tradition.

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