Northern Black Polished Ware - Lanka
Ruhuna - Life - Srivasta - Disk

A Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) cap with srivasta symbols on the flat black polished side and Egyptian life symbol on the other convec side. The NBPW ceramic style known developed from circa 700 to 300 B.C., alongside the formation of regional states and the consolidation of imperial power in Magadha. It was found in Akurugoda in area of Tissamaharama.

SPECIFICATIONS
MaterialPottery
TypePolished
Diameter15.5 mm
Thickness2.5 mm
Weight0.59 gms
ShapeCircular
Edgesmooth
DieAxisO°
 ruhuna_life_srivasta_disk_obverse ruhuna_life_srivasta_disk_reverse
Unpublished
Obverse : Life symbol incuse at center of on unpainted convex surface
Reverse : Srivasta symbol at center of black polished flat surface.

This Black Disk looks to me to be like polished slate. In the 1999 catalog by Osmund Bopearachchi and Rajah Wickramasinhe titled Ruhuna. An Ancient Civilization Re-visited , they are listed under Miscellaneous Objects as Black rouletted Ware (N.1-N.6). It was obtained from the same collector who provided most of the items for that book.

The fact the symbols on this Black Disk are frequently found on Lankan coins which makes this an very interesting item.

The coin was scanned at 600 dpi and displayed at 250 dpi. It was obtained in 2003 May from Mr A. Ratnayaka a collector in Katharagama, Lanka.