Ves headdress

E936490

The Ves headdress is an ornate, sacred headpiece worn by male Kandyan dancers in Sri Lanka, symbolizing ritual purity and mastery in the classical dance tradition.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf dance costume element
ritual headdress
sacred object
associatedWith Kandyan drumming and dance ensembles
associatedWithRegion Kandy NERFINISHED
associatedWithRole principal male dancer
associatedWithTradition Kandyan dance NERFINISHED
countryOfOrigin Sri Lanka NERFINISHED
culturalHeritageStatus part of intangible cultural heritage of Sri Lanka
culturalSignificance marker of initiation into Ves dance tradition
symbol of completion of formal Kandyan dance training
genderAssociation male
hasComponent beaded elements
central crest
decorative back portion
ear ornaments
metallic front piece
ornamental side pieces
pendant ornaments
linkedToBelief improper use can bring misfortune
only properly initiated dancers should wear it
materialUsed beads
cloth
metal
ornamentationType traditional Sri Lankan motifs
partOf Ves costume
performanceFunction emphasizes head and upper-body movements
enhances stage presence of dancer
religiousContext Buddhist-influenced ritual practice
requires observance of ritual purity rules
special initiation ritual
symbolizes mastery in dance
ritual purity
spiritual power
status of a fully trained dancer
timePeriodOfUse Kandyan dance era to present
transmission passed down through dance lineages
usedFor processions
ritual performance
temple ceremonies
usedIn Kandyan classical dance NERFINISHED
visualStyle highly ornate
sparkling
symmetrical
wornBy male Kandyan dancers
wornDuring Ves mangalaya ceremony
wornOn head

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Kandyan dance costumeElement Ves headdress