Galle National Museum
Sri Lanka - Colombo - Negombo - Dambulla - Kandy
Galle offers a holiday of a lifetime. It has the perfect blend of contemporary Sri Lankan society and its colonial past. Galle was the place through which the first Portuguese fleet led by Laurenco De Almeida entered Sri Lanka nearly five centuries ago. It was also here that the Dutch more than three centuries ago built their famous ninety-acre fort. It is still a reminder of those colonial days with its high ramparts and ornate pepperpot towers. You can indulge in sightseeing to your heart’s content in Galle, it has several small scale industries, restaurants and museums. Galle National Museum is a place where you will get to know Galle really well. Galle was undoubtedly a leading centre of the native arts and crafts. And you will get an idea of all of these if you really spend some time studying the various exhibits in the museum.
Galle National Museum is about all things Galle. It is housed in an old Dutch period building in the center of Galle Fort. Here there are numerous displays on colonial weaponry, native crafts, folk arts, a variety of Portuguese and Dutch swords including a rare Dutch cavalier sword. There are some stone cannon balls dating back to Dutch times. You will get an idea of some of the specimens of native firearms that includes a heavy double-barreled pistol manufactured indigenously. Study the beautiful battle axe made of brass and iron said to be about two centuries old as well as a mugura or wooden club about a century or so old attentively to understand ancient weaponry.
Galle National Museum is about all things Galle. It is housed in an old Dutch period building in the center of Galle Fort. Here there are numerous displays on colonial weaponry, native crafts, folk arts, a variety of Portuguese and Dutch swords including a rare Dutch cavalier sword. There are some stone cannon balls dating back to Dutch times. You will get an idea of some of the specimens of native firearms that includes a heavy double-barreled pistol manufactured indigenously. Study the beautiful battle axe made of brass and iron said to be about two centuries old as well as a mugura or wooden club about a century or so old attentively to understand ancient weaponry.
Galle National Museum has numerous exhibits on native handicrafts including turtle-shell ware which includes an antique jewellery box, spectacle frames, combs and bangles. A rare turtle-shell fan as well as nemi pana or bent combs made of turtle shell can be seen here. They were widely worn by the Sinhalese Muhandirams of ancient times as a head ornament. Also on display are various moulds for making turtle shell ware. This craft is now extinct but involved heating the turtle shells until they softened. Then they were cut into little pieces and placed in a mould to obtain the desired shape. An amazing display of masks and laces are also part of the exhibits.
