Actors and Exorcists: Masks of Sri Lanka

January 15 - June 8, 2008
Wolcott Gallery

In the exorcism dance rituals and folk plays of Sri Lanka, devils, animals, and humans are represented by elaborately carved and painted masks. Southern Sri Lanka's rich cultural heritage includes two dances that use masks: the thovil, or exorcism dances, in which masked demons drive illness and misfortune away, and the kolam folk drama, a community entertainment performed traditionally for centuries.

The kolam performance, generally held once a year, was a gift from the God of Curiosity, who left both the masks and a book with the outline of the play for its celebrants to discover; outdoor perfomances would last all night. Sri Lankan cosmology includes a combination of Hindu and Buddhist deities and practices; while the Buddha has gained liberation from samsara, the endless cycle of rebirth, he symbolically reigns supreme over all beings, including a multitude of deities who reside in a series of sublime heavens and a myriad of malevolent demons who cause sickness and misfortune in the human realm. Demon masks represent specific illnesses and embody ailments from bad dreams to plague to paralysis. In thovil dances, actors, dancers, exorcists, and musicians work together to heal the community and rid it of evil influences. In sharp contrast to the thovil, the kolam folk drama includes anecdotes and jokes and stories performed by masked dancers. The masks in the Museum's collection were acquired in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and include animals, village characters, and supernatural beings.

This exhibition is generously supported by the Kalkin Family Exhibitions Endowment Fund, the 1675 Foundation, and the Walter Cerf Exhibitions Fund.