From ancient times a wide range of pottery has been produced to fulfil different social and cultural needs. In Sri Lanka too, pottery or earthenware was widely used in cooking, storage, religious rituals and ceremonies, architectural decorations and ornamentation and in recreational activities. This pottery was admired for its excellence in respect of beauty of form and adaptation to the end in view or for its primarily utilitarian character (Coomaraswamy 1908). Due to transformations in modern technology and the introduction of a number of substitutes in steel, aluminium and plastic, a degree of decline in the use of pottery can be seen. However, clay pots remain in domestic and ritual use even today without any change in form even though a reduction in size seems to have taken place. Apart from traditional forms, there is an increase in the manufacture of ornamental pottery in keeping with modern socio-economic trends and tastes.
From earliest times clay lamps where an essential object produced by man for use in daily life and for religious rituals. Originally, oil lamps were bowl shaped but some were later developed into more elaborate floor lamps with a ring of lamps around the top. Contemporary oil lamps are mostly small and very simple in form.
Many villagers believe that their homes and gardens can be protected by burying charmed pots at the four and eight corners. These pots derive from exorcist rituals carried out to protect against the influence of evil non-human beings (amanussa) and ghosts (pretas). In the Buddhist tradition these pots are buried after conducting the ritual of paritta to avert the effects of evil influences and bad planetary periods (apala).
In Sri Lanka the ritual boiling of milk at an auspicious time, facing an
auspicious direction is an important part of New Year celebrations and other
special occasions. The boiled milk is sprinkled throughout the house. Even
though the form of these pots has remained unchanged a significant decrease in
size has taken place in recent years.
An important symbol of prosperity in Sinhalese society and culture which has also been widely used as an architectural decoration and for ornamentation is the pot of prosperity or plenty (punkalasa). Clay pots (kalas) with the flowers from the areca nut (puwak) or coconut tree is put into them are placed on either side of the entrance to structures in which religious and other auspicious ceremonies are held.