Representation of Ancient Chinese Art in the Museums of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka and China are traditional friendly countries with relations dating back over many centuries. Relations were fostered by thriving trade exchanges along the Maritime Silk Route and far-reaching cooperation in culture and knowledge. In 410 CE, the Chinese Buddhist scholar Fa Xian spent around two years in Sri Lanka. While in Sri Lanka, he translated Buddhist scriptures, which he brought back to China, and wrote a book titled A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms, making a substantive contribution to the enhancement of people-to-people contacts. The Chinese navigator Admiral Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty sailed to Sri Lanka many times between 1405 and 1433. A stone tablet erected by Zheng He is kept in the National Museum of Sri Lanka, standing as testimony to the long history of friendship between Sri Lanka and China. This study explores how ancient Chinese art is represented and interpreted in major Sri Lankan museums, focusing on the Colombo National Museum and the National Maritime Museum in Galle. These museums were strategically chosen because of their large concentrations of Chinese artifacts and serve as suitable case studies for the study of China-Sri Lankan culture and artifact collection by national museums. Following a qualitative research approach, it draws on field observations, semi-structured interviews with museum professionals, and a review of exhibition records to analyze the presentation and interpretation of Chinese artifacts, particularly Tang and Five Dynasties period, Song Dynasty, and Ming and Qing period porcelain. Interviewees were selected using purposive sampling based on their professional involvement in museum curation and exhibition design. Data were further analyzed using thematic analysis to identify emergent patterns in the depiction of Chinese art. These objects present not only as evidence of historical trade but also as cultural symbols reflecting early globalization and artistic exchange between China and Sri Lanka. The findings provide a foundation for future research incorporating additional museums and visitor perspectives to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the educational and cultural significance of Chinese art representation in Sri Lanka.

Chinese art, Chinese ceramics, Sri Lankan museums, Cultural exchange

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