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The Depository documents 14 techniques in Sri Lanka; by risk level: 10 critically endangered, 2 endangered, 2 vulnerable. Each record opens with a public summary; the full research record is free to view once registered.
Cadjan (කැදිලි — kadili in Sinhala) is the ancient Sri Lankan tradition of weaving coconut palm leaves (Cocos nucifera) or palmyra palm leaves (Borassus flabellifer) into panels for thatching, screens, food containers, ceremonial objects,…
Dumbara (දුම්බර) is the Kandyan region's distinctive weft-float weaving tradition — producing textiles and floor mats with geometric patterns of remarkable mathematical density.
Karunkkali (கருங்காலி — 'black wood') carving is the Tamil community's wood carving tradition of Jaffna Peninsula in northern Sri Lanka — producing figurative sculptures of Hindu deities, elephants, and decorative objects from Sri Lanka…
Danta silpa (දන්ත ශිල්ප — 'tooth craft') is Sri Lanka's ivory and bone carving tradition — historically producing the finest carved ivory objects in South Asia: the ivory handles of the Kandyan ceremonial fans (thattuva), the decorative…
The Kandyan dance costume (udum pirivetha) is one of the most elaborate performance costumes in South Asia — featuring a tiered silver headdress (ves) of eighteen elements, a silver breastplate (etapata), arm ornaments (valagediya),…
Kolam (කෝලම්) masks are the carved and painted wooden masks used in Sri Lanka's folk theater (kolam natya) and healing ceremonies (tovil).
Pandu vedi (පන්ඩු වේදී) is the Kandyan Kingdom's hereditary repoussé metalwork tradition — producing the silver and gilt-copper objects that furnished the royal court and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Dalada Maligawa) in Kandy:…
Thattu veda (තතු වේදී — 'wire work') is the Sinhalese gold filigree tradition of the Kandyan region — producing the intricate gold wirework of necklaces (kantamalee), hairpins (kondakotha), and bridal jewelry sets through a construction…
Beeralu (බීරළු) is Sri Lanka's bobbin lace tradition — introduced by Portuguese traders in the 16th century and now so thoroughly naturalized that it is considered a distinctly Sri Lankan craft, concentrated in the coastal communities of…
The traditional hand-cutting and faceting of Sri Lankan gemstones — most prominently the Ceylon sapphire, prized globally for its distinctive silky, velvety blue and light transparent clarity — using the hanaporuwa, a bow-driven vertical…
Ola pat (ඔල පත් — 'palmyra leaf') is the preparation of talipot palm leaves (Corypha umbraculifera) as the writing substrate for Sri Lanka's ancient manuscript tradition — the medium on which the entire Pali Buddhist canon and thousands of…
Raban (රබන්) is Sri Lanka's lac-on-lathe tradition — closely related to the Newar pole-lathe (CRAFT-0553) in applying stick lac to friction-warm spinning wood, but using a foot-pedal driven lathe rather than a bamboo-spring pole-lathe.
The wax-resist dyeing of cloth into vibrant, layered patterned textiles, repeatedly cited among Sri Lanka's most iconic traditional crafts and closing a significant gap in the archive's existing 12-record Sri Lanka collection, none of…
The Liyanagemulla village tradition near Negombo in Sri Lanka's Western Province maintains one of the oldest and most continuous pit-fired pottery traditions in South Asia — producing unglazed red earthenware water pots (kendiya), cooking…