Photograph thumbnail 1
Photograph thumbnail 2
Not on display

Photograph

1866-1872 (made)
Artist/Maker
Lawton, Joseph (photographer)
Place of origin
Sri (photographed)
Sri Lanka (photographed)

Lettered with the name 'Lawton' in white.

Object details

Category
Photographs
Object type
Photograph
Materials and techniques
Photography
Brief description
Photograph depicting a rock cut statue of King Parākramabāhu I (A.D. 1153) at Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka.
Physical description
Lettered with the name 'Lawton' in white.
Dimensions
  • Image height: 20.5cm
  • Image width: 14.3cm
  • Mount height: 33.1cm
  • Mount width: 26.7cm
Gallery label
(27 November 2018)
Cast CourtS Reinstallation, 27 November 2018

12. FACSIMILE PHOTOGRAPH OF
'No. 78. rock cut statue of King Parākramabāhu I (A.D. 1153) at Polonnaruwa'
Joseph Lawton, about 1870-71

Photography could give context to objects in a way that plaster casts and electrotypes could not. The commercial photographer, Joseph Lawton, opened a studio in Kandy, Sri Lanka, in 1866. He was commissioned by the Archaeological Committee, working for the British Government of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), to record the country's ancient sites. In this image he shows how the statue was cut from the surrounding rock, and includes a human figure for scale.

REPRODUCED FROM
Albumen print
Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
Museum no. 2254-1912
Object history
It is supposed that most of the buildings at Polonnaruwa, the ruins of which survive, were erected during the reign of Maha Parākramabāhu (Parākramabāhu the Great) (1123–1186) was king of Sri Lanka from 1153 to 1186. During his reign from his capital Polonnaruwa, he unified the three sub kingdoms of the island, becoming one of the last monarchs in Sri Lankan history to do so. It must have been however, a place of importance in the 7th century as a palace was built there by King Sri Sungo-Bo II, A.D. 642.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
2254-1912

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Record createdAugust 21, 2013
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1270537/photograph-lawton-joseph/
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