National Museum to preserve culture

By Amal HEWAVISSENTI

The International Museum Day in May demands a reassessment of the significance of national museums in any country. For anyone genuinely concerned with the arts, a museum is highly captivating place where a large number of interesting and valuable objects such as works of art or historical items are kept, studied and displayed to the public.

On the other hand, a museum acts as a perfect guide which collects the remains of the past legacy of a country and presents them attractively to all strata of generations.

This guarantees the safe passage of a country's culture to the future through the labyrinth of time. Thus the museum is roughly defined as the mirror which reflects the dignified and impressive nature of a country's past and the unique identity of a nation.

Every country, every nation or every person virtually needs a strong basis to build his present status and future.

This basis is supported by the past. Therefore, a concept called history has come to study the past and adjust it meaningfully to the needs of present and future. It is here that the museum comes into operation.

The objects, and the artefacts of cultural interest which are currently housed by a museum offer a cross section of various aspects of man's historic development. Thus, a careful study of a museum enables a successful appraisal of man's lifestyles, aesthetic feelings, beliefs and thoughts.

National Museum of Sri Lanka

The National Museum in Colombo was opened in 1877 by English Governor Sir William Henry Gregory. With the establishment of the National Museum in Colombo, the Museum Ordinance launched museums in Rathnapura, Kandy and Jaffna in 1942. Shortly after this, the Department of National Museums was established to successfully monitor the affairs of the museums in Sri Lanka.

The network of national museums in Sri Lanka possesses unique objects and other touchable evidence which speak of a glorious past of 2,500 years. Some tools, bones and other remains mutely rehearse the world which had existed thousands of years back. These priceless objects comprise the remains of animals and man of prehistoric times, together with undeveloped stone tools used by him. Apart from that, the National Museums of Sri Lanka have bronze statues, wood and stone carvings, textiles, coins, ola leaf books and full regalia of ancient royalty.

The throne in the museum

The majority of the items exhibited in the museum are to be found nowhere else. For instance, the throne and the crown used by the Sinhala royalty are the unique property of the National Museum and are the matchless attractions among the numerous objects on display.

The five feet tall throne of gems and gold is a gift to King Wimaladharmasuriya of Kandy from Thomas Vamry, a Dutch Governor in Sri Lanka. After the Kandyan Convention was signed, the English took the throne, crown and other items used by Sri Wikrama Rajasinha to Britain. However, in 1934, Governor Sir Edward Stub made arrangements to bring the throne and the crown back to Sri Lanka (It was officially placed in "Magul Maduwa" of Kandy).

The throne has been primarily designed in France but the carvings and other designs reflect the Sinhala artist's exquisite workmanship. It is said that the throne and the crown in the National Museum have been used by Wimaladarmasuriya II, Keerthi Sri Rajasinha, and Sri Wikrama Rajasinha of Kandy.

Before the modern museums came into being, the wealthy people had a special inclination to collect ancient objects. Later the public had the opportunity to watch the valuable objects collected. The Europeans began to collect valuable objects of cultural, scientific and artistic interest which were found in colonised countries such as Sri Lanka and India. They did not hesitate to take the collected items to their mother countries and the final outcome was the museum.

Why it is important

People benefit directly from watching museums because the most successful method for them to gain knowledge is museum exhibitions. Steps have already been taken to safeguard the condition and the quality of these priceless exhibits using latest technology. The public attraction for museum determines their existence.

The best possible technology has to be properly used to increase the number of local and foreign visitors. For this purpose programs are being planned to hold massive cultural and educational exhibitions in rural areas remote from the current network of museums. These mobile exhibitions organised by the museum will greatly educate the community about the value of objects of cultural and artistic interest.

The national Museum is an interesting educational centre which provides education from the kindergarden to university level. The museum operates in such a way that it provides education for visitors depending on their level of interest and personal taste. Currently, the museum is conducting educational sessions for teachers and students of schools and drawing itself nearer to public.

It is interesting to note that the first "museum Park" in Sri Lanka is to be arranged in the premises of Ratnapura National Museum.

It has already been developed as a centre of exhibition and conservation of wild trees which grow naturally in the museum premises. Apart from that the management of the museum has taken effective steps present life like models of animals of Sabaragamuwa province and other animals such as the primeval elephant, lion, buffaloe, hippopotamus and the Rhino.

The Ratnapura National Museum features different stages of gem industry (mining) which is prevalent in the district. The national museum is entrusted with the responsibility to promote national unity.

In other words the museum should focus more on displaying cultural legacy belonging to the different ethnic groups in Sri Lanka and combining them to the 'heritage of Sri Lanka. Thereby the museum is capable of incorporating Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people into a single community and making them proud sharers of Sri Lankan culture.

The network of national museums in Sri Lanka is mapping out financial arrangements to incorporate Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities.

The different cultural components unique to each community will merge with one another and thereby will elevate mutual trust and friendship to strengthen the nation as a whole.

The museum authorities have adopted praiseworthy measures to introduce the latest technology of proper conservation into museums in Sri Lanka. Amendment of the 1942 Museum Ordinance have now been proposed.

The Ministry of Cultural is planning to organise islandwide workshops and conferences to bring the Sri Lankan museums to global level.