Abstract
Architectural conservation provides necessary methodologies and skills to conserve traditional Sri Lankan mural paintings that are user objects in the ancient image houses. Most of these paintings are in dilapidated conditions due to natural decay and human intervention. Reduction of the rate of decay is the most important aspect of their conservation.In this experimental study, we found that methods based on synthetic material that are currently used do not reduce the rate of decay of paintings, only those methods that stabilize the behavior of paintings reduce the rate of decay. It was established that methods based on traditional material could effectively stabilize the behavior of paintings. Based on these findings, appropriate methods of conservation are developed. Prime attention is given to filling, fixation and consolidation. The possibility of using cleaning and reintegration as tools of preservation is discussed.
Highlights
Traditional mural paintings in Sri Lanka are present in the image houses of ancient temples
It was emphasized that repair interventions based on traditional materials is an effective method of reducing the rate of decay of traditional mural paintings. This investigation has established that repair interventions earned out with traditional material could bring about normal behavior of mural paintings
Synthetic material cannot be used in conservation until such time as their qualities will be improved to suit behavior of traditional paintings
Summary
Traditional mural paintings in Sri Lanka are present in the image houses of ancient temples. Most of these temples are in regular use by the devotees. Images are the primary ritual objects in the image house. Mural paintings have a supplementary function to images. They intensify the effect of images and had been created to depict religious stories, often in a narrative style. A large number of traditional mural paintings created from Anuradhapura to Southern period exist to date. Murals belonging to several painting schools (Bandaranayake, 1986) had been executed using several painting techniques
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