Furniture and brassware for export, BMICH, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A water boiler for instant tea, in active use from 1940s to present day Sri Lanka.

This water-boiler made of copper had a fireplace at the bottom. A central metal tube carried away the heat via a chimney to the exterior. The black bulge in the chimney tube had a door through which chips of wood could be dropped to the fire at the bottom. The copper part contained water which on reaching boiling point could be drained via the tap.
I took this picture in 2012 at a tea-boutique in Haldumulla on the road to Badulla. LP gas fired burners have largely replaced this item in boutiques.

A large replica of a 'water-boiler' - 'Boileray' S, installed opposite the Castle Hotel, Pathana near Hatton.

Small industries exhibition, BMICH, March 2014, Sri Lanka.

Stine figurines.

Objects d' art - Kandyan.

Life-jackets and artificial wooden flowers.

Designs in clay.

German Lady speaks 'Jaffna Tamil'.

email from Kamalini Kanapathippillai.

Please click on link below:-

http://youtu.be/UXbtqSB2MqE

Small industries exhibition, BMICH, March 2014, Sri Lanka.

'Kithul paeni' for sale in glass bottles and in the more traditional arecanut frond holders.

Buffalo curd for sale in clay pots.

Small industries exhibition, BMICH, March 2014, Sri Lanka.

Small industries exhibition at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Hall, BMICH, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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Hair styles using a simple plastic clip, Carnival, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Mannequin on a tripod.

A plastic clip costing Rs.100/=

Dressing the long hair.

Result 1.

Result 2.

Result 3.

I took these pictures at a demonstration of the uses of a simple plastic clip.

Ripening mangoes, home garden, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

At the Carnival, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Tasty tit-bits for sale.

Grams seller.

Candy floss maker

Carnival, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

The 'Well of death'. A bicycle, a motor-cycle and a go-cart were being ridden in turn round the interior walls of this wooden 'well'. Quite a crowd was bthere to pay for the tickets to watch the show.

'Rotti' being prepared.

Toys for sale.

Plastic balloons for sale.

Sights at a carnival, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

The 'plane ride'.

LED lighted toys for sale.

The 'gram-seller'.

The 'saara-vita' - betel seller, man, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

The 'Saara-vita' seller.

The illumination for the tray is done by a small acetylene flame issuing from a hypodermic needle. The acetylene is generated by water dripping on calcium carbide and is led to the needle by a cut plastic tube from a discarded intra-venous set.

The 'saara-vita' containing a betel leaf, arecanut, tobacco, spices and coloured coconut scrapings. The price was Es.30/- each.

Old 'saara-vita' seller fast asleep before his ware. The acetylene lamp is burning bright illuminating his tray.

'Scorpion orchid', home-garden, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

'The dew on the flowers has come with the dawn' - Home garden, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Beach road, Wellawaththe, Sri Lanka.

Some old photos, Sri Lanka.

A 'stock' - 'Dhandu kandha' S, with a voluteer 'in place', Eknaligoda walawwa, Kuruwita.

 During the British Colonial period these were used by the Village Headmen to punish offenders. A lady in her 90s told me that when she was a young bride, she had felt sorry for a man from the village who was put in this by her newly married husband who was the Village Headman. She had felt sorry for the offender and had unlocked him and made him go away. When the husband arrived home he was furious and locked the young bride on the 'Dhandu kandha' for a few minutes. Feminine charm had obviously not worked.

A hospital kitchen at Mulangaavil, Mannar.

The fire-place was on a platform made of mud and stones. Firewood was used in the cooking. The wall had a weaved mat with holes to hold the coconut shell spoons. The elevated platform on the left served as a bench.