Subject: විදානෙ vidane chief / headman

Culture: Sinhalese

Setting: colonial resistance, Kandy kingdom, Sri Lanka 18th - early 19thc

Object: kastane saber

* Valiant Co.

Royal Armouries Museum > Oriental Gallery *

"Sword (kastane) Sri Lankan, 19th century The hilt of this kastane is of ebony, carved and inlaid with brass and silver.

The iron guard is simply inlaid in silver, in an early style. The kastane had a brief vogue in England and the Netherlands in the mid 17th century."

"Sword (kastane) Sri Lankan, 18th century The characteristic sword of Sri Lanka is the kastane, with its short, curved (and often imported) blade, and dragon-headed hilt. The hilt is of wood, overlaid with brass, silver and copper."

"Sword (kastane) Sril Lankan, 19th century The blade of this kastane was probably made on the island, but is shaped and decorated to resemble a Persian blade (the 'inscriptions' are nonsense). Imported blades were more desirable than home-made ones."

"Sword (kastane) Sri Lankan, 19th century The later kastane were fitted with cast brass hilts made in the same form as the earlier wooden ones."