A delightful tour among handicrafts

Saturday, 26 October 2013 10:53 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Laksala Museum Gallery Café shows that Laksala is moving with the times By D.C. Ranatunga What does a gem pit look like? How is brassware made? Is lace-making an intricate affair? To find the answers, you don’t have to go far – walk into the recently-opened Laksala showroom at the Colombo National Museum premises and you will get a glimpse of all this.

Until recently Laksala showrooms were full of products but there wasn’t much creativity in their presentation. Not much attention was paid to displays though one could have a good look at what was available. Exciting presentation The ‘Museum Laksala’ is different. While the place is full of products, their presentation is quite exciting. In the gems and jewellery section, for example, there is much more than displaying the products. The visitor gets an idea of the environment where gemming is done, what a gem pit looks like and how they hunt for gems. The models are imaginatively presented. The raw products can be studied. The visit is much more meaningful. Walking into the brassware section, a craftsman clad in a sarong and bare-bodied, is busy doing the intricate work. The model is so natural. He is surrounded by finished products. ‘Beeralu’ lacemaking Bobbin (‘beeralu’) lacemaking, the popular cottage industry in Galle and the suburbs, was introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century. The flourishing cottage industry continued its popularity even during the Dutch colonial period following the Portuguese era. Women wearing the ‘kabakuruttu,’ a white short, long-sleeved cotton jacket with a V-neck edged with dainty pillow lace, are still a popular sight where lacemaking continues to be prevalent. The model at the ‘Museum Laksala’ is a perfect representation of a typical ‘beeralu’ weaver. What one sees fits in exactly to what Dr. K.D.G. Wimalaratne describes in his book ‘Costumes of Sri Lanka’ about pillow lacemaking: "I remember the early days several decades ago walking in to the Laksala shop at York Street, Fort and browsing around. There wasn’t a wide variety of products. There was ample room to move about. The ‘Laksala Museum Gallery Café’ shows that Laksala is moving with the times" “The lace is made by twisting thread around pins fastened on to a hard round ‘pillow’ set into a sturdy wooden structure. At the base of this structure is a drawer in which the finished pieces of lace are deposited. Wooden bobbins wrapped with thread are attached to the pillow. The lace-maker sits on a stool in front of the contraption and follows the design sketched on a piece of paper and pinned on a side down the length of the pillow… The bobbins are moved from left to right and right to left, working out the pattern with uncanny precision and speed.” Real museum pieces Judging from the products exhibited at the showroom, some fit in fine for the venue. They are real museum pieces. Old soldiers and old sailing ships are two examples. A collection of arecanut cutters is fascinating. So is an assortment of woodwork with a fisherman with his ‘maalukada’ in the centre. The array of Buddha statues is impressive. The vast display of elephants from tiny wooden ones to those of different sizes in different colours is striking. The management claims that over 30,000 items supplied from around the island are available in the store. These include products ranging from wood craft, brassware, leather, ceramics, batiks and handlooms to many more. Moving with the times I remember the early days several decades ago walking in to the Laksala shop at York Street, Fort and browsing around. There wasn’t a wide variety of products. There was ample room to move about. The Laksala Museum Gallery Café shows that Laksala is moving with the times. It is one of 13 Laksalas set up in different parts of the country. The goal of the management is to make Laksala “the ultimate and most sought-after souvenir boutique among Sri Lankans and foreigners”. The latter will certainly be impressed when they walk into the ‘Museum Laksala’. Good future of our craftsmen The success of Laksala will mean a good future of our craftsmen. The National Craft Council, the custodian of Laksala, has a big responsibility in getting the right mix where while continuing to protect the traditional crafts, newer designs and techniques should be introduced. That will create an interest among the new generation to remain in the industry while attracting foreigners to buy the products. ‘Delighting the customer’ is one of the core values of Laksala. They are on the right track towards achieving it.