Sri Lanka — Ceylon

Sri Lanka, historically called Ceylon, is an island south of India with diverse traditions of dress, jewellery and performance. Its royal and religious histories are visible in portraits, processions and dance.

Kandyan dancers combine controlled movement with elaborate costume and ornaments. The clothing frames the body, while drumming gives the performance its rhythm. Other regions of the island developed different styles.

Low-country masked performances transform the face more completely. Carved and painted masks represent particular characters. Some belong to healing ceremonies such as Sanni Yakuma, where performance is part of a response to illness.

Jewellery, headwear and fine garments offer further ways to dress for an occasion. The pictures move between daily life and public ceremony, showing how a body could become recognisable as a dancer, ruler or religious figure through what it wore and how it moved.