Reviews of the latest books from and on Southasia

Eloquence in Stone: The lithic saga of Sri Lanka
by Nihal Fernando & SinhaRajah Tammita-Delgoda
Studio Times, 2009

Sri Lanka's sheer diversity has proven a rich vein for coffee-table books. The maestro of the genre, veteran photographer Nihal Fernando, has, since 1963, guided the renowned Studio Times, accumulated thousands of historical images and published multiple volumes, of which this new work is the most ambitious. Fernando devotes this book to the human-embellished stone visible throughout Sri Lanka – the country's 'lithic saga' – in conjunction with five other photographers and text co-written with the historical author SinhaRajah Tammita-Delgoda.

The chapters cover the eras in the country's stone heritage in chronological fashion, starting with the Stone Age itself, when caves were home to Balangoda Man, who left stone implements and wall paintings. The arrival from India of Vijaya, the legendary first king, saw the appearance of stone representations and burial chambers. But it was the introduction of Buddhism and the subsequent establishment of stone-wrought Anuradhapura as one of the greatest ancient cities that brought lithic invention to its zenith. After the decline of Anuradhapura, stone magnificence reoccurred at Polonnaruwa, exemplified by the four colossal Buddha statues at Gal Vihara. But Indian invasions forced lithic art into retreat, before it made a final appearance in Kandy.