The Truth about Sale of Antique Items in Sri Lanka: An Inquisitor Study of the Antiques Market in the Galle Fort

Upeksha Gamage; Chandrasiri Chithrananda; Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11

| Peer-Reviewed

The Truth about Sale of Antique Items in Sri Lanka: An Inquisitor Study of the Antiques Market in the Galle Fort

Upeksha Gamage, Chandrasiri Chithrananda, Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna

Published in International Journal of Archaeology (Volume 6, Issue 1)

Received: 24 February 2018 Accepted: 11 March 2018 Published: 9 April 2018

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

According to current international charters on antiquities and cultural conventions, it has been generally accepted that such items belonging to more than hundred years old are commonly referred to as an antique. Whenever definition made of such item based on the characteristics of identical features, period, usefulness, artistry, rarity, condition, material, relationship with the human being and other features were taken as basic determines. Necessary steps have been taken to protect certain historical and cultural properties enforced under various charters. The antiquities in Sri Lanka are bought illegally by foreigners under the knowledge of persons belonging to them. Thus the important historical artifacts transported to foreign countries, no such record or evidence is available to the Sri Lankans. They gather historical items and illegally sell them constantly. In this research work, much attention was paid towards historical antique market existing in and around ancient-fortress at Galle in Sri Lanka. The reason to select Galle fort was being the center of tourism plus the widely distribute in antique market. This article has investigated on the magnitude of the sale of antiquities, legality of existing sale-procedures, categories and prices of such historical items, mostly marketed items and of their prices.

Published in	International Journal of Archaeology (Volume 6, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11
Page(s)	1-8
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Antiquities, Antique Market, Galle Fort, Cultural Heritage, Charters

References

[1]	Act No. 09 of 1940, Archaeological Ordinance, Colombo: Government Printing.
[2]	Act No. 73 of 1988, Cultural Property, Colombo: Government Printing.
[3]	Act No. 24 of 1998, Antiquities [Amendment], Colombo: Government Printing.
[4]	Act No. 09 of 2000, Archaeological Ordinance [Amendment], Colombo: Government Printing.
[5]	Antiquities Ordinance, 1956 Revision, Colombo: Government Printing.
[6]	Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict with Regulations for the Execution of the Convention 1954, Hague, 14, May 1954.
[7]	Conservation on the means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer and Ownership of Cultural Property 1970, Sixteenth session, ‏Paris, 14, November, 1970, [Article 03/ Article 6].
[8]	Customs Ordinance, [1990] Colombo: Government Press.
[9]	De Silva, P. H. D. M. [1996]. Basic Principles of Museums. Colombo: Sri Lanka National Library.
[10]	Dharmasiri, M. C. Tourist Guide. [Personal Communication, 2017]. 45yers.
[11]	Gunawardhana, Prishantha. [2005]. Archaeological Heritage, Structure, Concepts and Management. Ja-Ela: Samanthi book publishers.
[12]	Husen, K. Tourist Guide. [Personal Communication, 2017]. 38yers.
[13]	ICOMOS, [1980] Charter for Protection & Management of Archaeological Heritage.
[14]	Liyanage, Sameera. [2003]. History of Archaeology [From begging to 192]. Ganemulla. Author Publications.
[15]	Rathnapala, E. M. [1999]. Sri Lanka and Tourists. Diulapitiya: Saraswathi Publications.
[16]	Recommendation concerning the International Exchange of Cultural Property. 26, November, 1976.
[17]	Recommendation for the Protection of Movable Cultural Property, Twenteeth Session, Paris, 28, November 1978.
[18]	Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict 1999, Hague, 26, May 1999.
[19]	Shyaman, C. Antique Shop Owener. [Personal Communication, 2017]. 28yers.
[20]	Sugathadasa, C. Antique Shop Owener. [Personal Communication, 2017]. 81yers.
[21]	UNESCO. [1983] National Legal Control of Traffic in Cultural Properties, Paris.

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Upeksha Gamage, Chandrasiri Chithrananda, Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna. (2018). The Truth about Sale of Antique Items in Sri Lanka: An Inquisitor Study of the Antiques Market in the Galle Fort. International Journal of Archaeology, 6(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Upeksha Gamage; Chandrasiri Chithrananda; Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna. The Truth about Sale of Antique Items in Sri Lanka: An Inquisitor Study of the Antiques Market in the Galle Fort. Int. J. Archaeol. 2018, 6(1), 1-8. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Upeksha Gamage, Chandrasiri Chithrananda, Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna. The Truth about Sale of Antique Items in Sri Lanka: An Inquisitor Study of the Antiques Market in the Galle Fort. Int J Archaeol. 2018;6(1):1-8. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11,
  author = {Upeksha Gamage and Chandrasiri Chithrananda and Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna},
  title = {The Truth about Sale of Antique Items in Sri Lanka: An Inquisitor Study of the Antiques Market in the Galle Fort},
  journal = {International Journal of Archaeology},
  volume = {6},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-8},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ija.20180601.11},
  abstract = {According to current international charters on antiquities and cultural conventions, it has been generally accepted that such items belonging to more than hundred years old are commonly referred to as an antique. Whenever definition made of such item based on the characteristics of identical features, period, usefulness, artistry, rarity, condition, material, relationship with the human being and other features were taken as basic determines. Necessary steps have been taken to protect certain historical and cultural properties enforced under various charters. The antiquities in Sri Lanka are bought illegally by foreigners under the knowledge of persons belonging to them. Thus the important historical artifacts transported to foreign countries, no such record or evidence is available to the Sri Lankans. They gather historical items and illegally sell them constantly. In this research work, much attention was paid towards historical antique market existing in and around ancient-fortress at Galle in Sri Lanka. The reason to select Galle fort was being the center of tourism plus the widely distribute in antique market. This article has investigated on the magnitude of the sale of antiquities, legality of existing sale-procedures, categories and prices of such historical items, mostly marketed items and of their prices.},
 year = {2018}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Truth about Sale of Antique Items in Sri Lanka: An Inquisitor Study of the Antiques Market in the Galle Fort
AU  - Upeksha Gamage
AU  - Chandrasiri Chithrananda
AU  - Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna
Y1  - 2018/04/09
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11
T2  - International Journal of Archaeology
JF  - International Journal of Archaeology
JO  - International Journal of Archaeology
SP  - 1
EP  - 8
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-7595
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11
AB  - According to current international charters on antiquities and cultural conventions, it has been generally accepted that such items belonging to more than hundred years old are commonly referred to as an antique. Whenever definition made of such item based on the characteristics of identical features, period, usefulness, artistry, rarity, condition, material, relationship with the human being and other features were taken as basic determines. Necessary steps have been taken to protect certain historical and cultural properties enforced under various charters. The antiquities in Sri Lanka are bought illegally by foreigners under the knowledge of persons belonging to them. Thus the important historical artifacts transported to foreign countries, no such record or evidence is available to the Sri Lankans. They gather historical items and illegally sell them constantly. In this research work, much attention was paid towards historical antique market existing in and around ancient-fortress at Galle in Sri Lanka. The reason to select Galle fort was being the center of tourism plus the widely distribute in antique market. This article has investigated on the magnitude of the sale of antiquities, legality of existing sale-procedures, categories and prices of such historical items, mostly marketed items and of their prices.
VL  - 6
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Upeksha Gamage

Department of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka
Chandrasiri Chithrananda

Department of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka
Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna

Department of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka

Download PDF

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Upeksha Gamage, Chandrasiri Chithrananda, Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna. (2018). The Truth about Sale of Antique Items in Sri Lanka: An Inquisitor Study of the Antiques Market in the Galle Fort. International Journal of Archaeology, 6(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Upeksha Gamage; Chandrasiri Chithrananda; Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna. The Truth about Sale of Antique Items in Sri Lanka: An Inquisitor Study of the Antiques Market in the Galle Fort. Int. J. Archaeol. 2018, 6(1), 1-8. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Upeksha Gamage, Chandrasiri Chithrananda, Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna. The Truth about Sale of Antique Items in Sri Lanka: An Inquisitor Study of the Antiques Market in the Galle Fort. Int J Archaeol. 2018;6(1):1-8. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11,
  author = {Upeksha Gamage and Chandrasiri Chithrananda and Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna},
  title = {The Truth about Sale of Antique Items in Sri Lanka: An Inquisitor Study of the Antiques Market in the Galle Fort},
  journal = {International Journal of Archaeology},
  volume = {6},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-8},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ija.20180601.11},
  abstract = {According to current international charters on antiquities and cultural conventions, it has been generally accepted that such items belonging to more than hundred years old are commonly referred to as an antique. Whenever definition made of such item based on the characteristics of identical features, period, usefulness, artistry, rarity, condition, material, relationship with the human being and other features were taken as basic determines. Necessary steps have been taken to protect certain historical and cultural properties enforced under various charters. The antiquities in Sri Lanka are bought illegally by foreigners under the knowledge of persons belonging to them. Thus the important historical artifacts transported to foreign countries, no such record or evidence is available to the Sri Lankans. They gather historical items and illegally sell them constantly. In this research work, much attention was paid towards historical antique market existing in and around ancient-fortress at Galle in Sri Lanka. The reason to select Galle fort was being the center of tourism plus the widely distribute in antique market. This article has investigated on the magnitude of the sale of antiquities, legality of existing sale-procedures, categories and prices of such historical items, mostly marketed items and of their prices.},
 year = {2018}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Truth about Sale of Antique Items in Sri Lanka: An Inquisitor Study of the Antiques Market in the Galle Fort
AU  - Upeksha Gamage
AU  - Chandrasiri Chithrananda
AU  - Thushari Sandya Thilakarathna
Y1  - 2018/04/09
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11
T2  - International Journal of Archaeology
JF  - International Journal of Archaeology
JO  - International Journal of Archaeology
SP  - 1
EP  - 8
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-7595
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20180601.11
AB  - According to current international charters on antiquities and cultural conventions, it has been generally accepted that such items belonging to more than hundred years old are commonly referred to as an antique. Whenever definition made of such item based on the characteristics of identical features, period, usefulness, artistry, rarity, condition, material, relationship with the human being and other features were taken as basic determines. Necessary steps have been taken to protect certain historical and cultural properties enforced under various charters. The antiquities in Sri Lanka are bought illegally by foreigners under the knowledge of persons belonging to them. Thus the important historical artifacts transported to foreign countries, no such record or evidence is available to the Sri Lankans. They gather historical items and illegally sell them constantly. In this research work, much attention was paid towards historical antique market existing in and around ancient-fortress at Galle in Sri Lanka. The reason to select Galle fort was being the center of tourism plus the widely distribute in antique market. This article has investigated on the magnitude of the sale of antiquities, legality of existing sale-procedures, categories and prices of such historical items, mostly marketed items and of their prices.
VL  - 6
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download