Museum visitors amazed by wall guns and canons taken from Lanka during Dutch period

The Colombo National Museum was crowded through the week with local visitors and foreign tourists coming to view “A lost heritage reclaimed” exhibition that showcased artifacts that were returned to Sri Lanka after being taken by Dutch forces some three centuries ago.

Most of the items were either looted after the Kandy palace was invaded by the Dutch in 1765, and they were taken as war trophies. Others were sent as gifts to the foreign rulers later.

Many visitors were amazed by the canons and wall guns that were showcased for their technical features and handicraft work that were made by Sri Lankan goldsmiths. The wall guns, which weigh around 27-28 kilogrammes, were used as infantry guns and were often carried by two persons on their shoulders. The special feature of these guns was their ‘detachable pans’ and the capability to increase fire power.

As a retired colonel who visited the exhibition with his family wrote in the visitor’s book, it was a proud moment to learn the history of the land and “witness the first handmade cannon Sri Lankans produced.”

Another government official who was busy taking photographs after admiring the minute decorative work on the swords used by late Kandyan kings and the guns, was heard telling his colleague about the craftsmanship of the Kandyan goldsmiths. He wondered how long it would take to finish the artistic work on these weapons.

His colleague who was stunned by the artistic beauty of these artifacts, asked his friend what happened to a demand back in the 1980s when the government prepared a list of similar stolen artifacts in foreign museums including the statue of the deity Tara that is now kept at the London Museum.