HSBC to refurbish Textiles and Pottery galleries at Colombo National Museum

HSBC at an official ceremony held at the Colombo National Museum on 26 January 2011, pledged its support to continue the refurbishment programme with the sponsorship of two more galleries, the Ancient Textiles and Pottery galleries as part of its continuing programme to preserve the rich culture and heritage of Sri Lanka.

The sponsorship token was handed over to Dr. Nanda Wickremasinghe, Director of National Museums by Nick Nicolaou, Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives.

The two galleries will exhibit some of the rarest artefacts such as royal clothes, painted clothes, ceiling clothes, woven clothes, embroidered clothes, palanquin clothes, costumes, jackets, shirts and trousers belonging to the 18th century onwards of Sri Lankan, Dutch, Portuguese and British periods. The Pottery Gallery consists of Sri Lankan and foreign pottery and ceramics belonging to the 10th century and beyond.  

These item from the Chinese, Dutch and Arabic regions as well as ancient Sri Lanka, have not been displayed for over 40 years due to the lack of display facilities and as such would be revealed for the first time to the general public.

The refurbishment programme sponsored by HSBC since 2004, has seen the completion of ten historical galleries; Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Transitional, Kandy,  Stone,  Arts & Crafts, Coins & Currency, Arms & Armaments, Standards & Banners and Paintings galleries.  

Nick Nicolaou, Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives stated, “HSBC has held a longstanding partnership with the Colombo National Museum and we are very pleased with the progress made thus far. To-date we have seen the completion of ten galleries and are about to embark on two more for the benefit of a larger audience, both locals and foreign visitors to the country. The Colombo National Museum is a priceless treasure that holds a proud history and cultural significance to all Sri Lankans; therefore HSBC is proud to have come forward to help restore this magnificent showcase.”

The impending 11th and 12th galleries will be the only two remaining galleries left to complete the historical wing at the Colombo National Museum. Having also undertaken the maintenance programme of all ten galleries, the Bank will continue to provide this service for the final two galleries as well.

The refurbishment of the latest galleries will be carried out under the guidance of the Colombo National Museum with layout, supervision and design led by Prof. Leelananda Prematilake whose vast knowledge has helped transform the museum’s architectural appeal, while reorganizing and renewing the presentation of its extensive collection of artifacts.

As an extension to the initial project, the Bank also produced a unique coffee table book titled "Preserving Heritage", which comprised a collection of refreshing yet elegant pictures depicting some of the country's priceless treasures. Further, a book mark was produced to be circulated amongst school children and visitors to the museum.

The Colombo National Museum apart from serving as a mirror of the country’s proud culture, functions as an educational institution for the public and varying levels of academics. This treasure house displays a collection of the finest and rarest artifacts of a civilization with a history of more than two millennia.