Age Unidentified - Lanka
Ruhuna - Terracotta Chitya
A terracotta Chitya with an encased terracotta coin
Found in Hambegamuwa - Detatissa Pansala in
area of Tissamaharama. Age unknown.
| SPECIFICATIONS |
| Material | Terracotta | |
| Type | Figure |
| Diameter | 45.5 mm |
| Height | 50.5 mm |
| Weight | 69.4 gms |
| Shape | Chitya |
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| Material | Terracotta | |
| Type | Coin |
| Diameter | 20.0 mm |
| Thickness | 7. mm |
| Weight | 2.86 gms |
| Shape | Round |
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Small terracotta Chitya: Base and side view
Small terracotta coin found within another Chitya
Obverse : Brahmi script letters faintly visible within plain circle
Reverse : Plain with finger print of ancient craftsmen.
A few of these Chitya's had been found at the site. Some were broken open to
check for treasure. A small terracotta coin with possible traces of
Brahmi script was found in each one. I obtained an unbroken Chitya and
one of the terracotta "coins" that was encased in another. Note that the coin
is displayed at larger resolution.
A Terracotta chitya is not listed in the 1999 catalog by Osmund
Bopearachchi and Rajah Wickramasinhe titled Ruhuna. An Ancient
Civilization Re-visited . The original source was the same collector
who provided most of the items for that book.
The Chitya figure was scanned at 200 dpi and displayed at 150 dpi.
The terracotta coin was scanned at 300 dpi and displayed at 250 dpi.
It was obtained in 2003 May from a antique dealer in Kandy, Lanka.