Kandy Royal Palace stucco ornamentation: lime-shell plaster and mythical celestial beasts?
What shell-lime stucco formulations and molding tools allowed Kandyan artisans to sculpt fierce Makara arches and multi-tiered roof friezes?
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4 Answers from travellers
The surviving stucco ornamentation across the Kandy Royal Palace complex and Temple of the Tooth showcases classical Kandyan artistic mastery. Artisans prepared stucco by slaking marine sea shells into ultra-fine lime putty, blending it with fine sand, clay, and sticky mucilage extracted from Beli fruit or boiled rice starch. This pliable plaster was hand-molded over brick cores or wooden armatures to form intricate low-relief friezes: mythical Makara dragon archways, celestial dancers (Gandhabbas), and leaping lions (Simha) rendered with delicate expression.
Stucco details are coated with traditional white lime wash (Makulu) that requires annual re-application by temple caretakers to preserve crisp relief lines.
Modern synthetic acrylic paints are strictly avoided during stucco restoration to prevent moisture trapping and salt blistering.
Visitors walking the upper palace quadrangle can inspect intricate stucco architraves framing ancient wooden doorways.
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