Commemorative dish depicting the fall of the Kingdom of Kandy c. 1815

The vivid scenes hammered into the surface of this large brass dish commemorate the epic fall of the Kingdom of Kandy (1592–1815), the last independent state in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) to succumb to British Crown rule. The design echoes that of Kandyan mural painting, with events staged in a series of illustrated panels, accompanied by brief descriptions incised in the local language (Sinhalese). Here, the central scene depicts Kandy’s controversial king, Sri Vikrama Raja Simha, enthroned in his palace in full regalia, demanding retribution for the betrayal of his chief minister, Ehelepola, who had defected to the British. On the lower level, the king’s executioner hands the wife a pestle, forcing her to crush her child in a rice pounder. Below that the wife herself is drowned in a lake. On the inner rim, rows of British Calvary led by Sir Robert Brownrigg swiftly defeat Vikrama Raja Sinha’s army. Created by Kandyan craftsmen, this dish was likely commissioned by and presented to a British official to celebrate a long-sought triumph. The choice of imagery typifies a prevailing tendency of British Crown rule: to further legitimize its claim by publicizing the tyrannical behaviors of so-called “oriental” kings.