observatoriaОбсерватория культурыObservatory of Culture2072-31562588-0047Russian State Library10.25281/2072-3156-2026-23-2-176-188observatoria-2005Research ArticleИМЕНА. ПОРТРЕТЫNAMES. PORTRAITSЖенские образы Сигирии: иконография и интерпретацияFemale Images of Sigiriya: Iconography and Interpretationhttps://orcid.org/0009-0007-5209-9478АбейсекераСанат Херат МудиянселагеAbeysekeraSanath H.M.

Аспирантская школа по искусству и дизайну,аспирант

Мясницкая ул., д. 20, Москва, 101000, Россия

ORCID 0009-0007-5209-9478; SPIN 4647-1726

20 Myasnitskaya Str., Moscow, 101000, Russia

ORCID 0009-0007-5209-9478

sanathab66@gmail.comНациональный исследовательский университет «Высшая школа экономики»РоссияNational Research University “Higher School of Economics”Russian Federation202631032026232176188Copyright © Абейсекера С., 20262026Абейсекера С.Abeysekera S.© 2026 ФГБУ "Российская государственная библиотека". Все права защищены. Воспроизведение без письменного разрешения запрещено.© 2026 Russian State Library. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission is prohibited.https://observatoria.rsl.ru/jour/article/view/2005

Статья посвящена исследованию иконографии и художественных особенностей монументальных росписей архитектурно-ландшафтного памятника Шри-Ланки — Сигирии, что в переводе с сингальского языка означает «Львиная скала». На плоской вершине скального плато, возвышающегося над окружающей равниной почти на 200 метров в самом центре острова, в V в. н. э. царем Кашьяпой был построен масштабный дворцово-парковый ансамбль, руины которого сохранились до нашего времени. Сигирия стала уникальным памятником, синтезирующим архитектурные знания и технические достижения древней Шри-Ланки, демонстрируя высокий уровень мастерства в области изобразительных искусств. До наших дней сохранился лишь фрагмент монументальной живописной композиции, существовавшей здесь в древности, — 22 женских образа, написанных на скальной поверхности. Несмотря на многолетние исследования, ряд вопросов, касающихся целей создания масштабного архитектурно-ландшафтного ансамбля Сигирии и функционирования отдельных его элементов, в том числе уникальных росписей, остаются неясными и вызывают разногласия в научных кругах.

При исследовании живописи Сигирии важен комплексный подход: ее связь с другими художественными элементами архитектурного ансамбля, его планировкой, функциональностью и общим идейным замыслом. Рассматриваются различные интерпретации женских образов Сигирии, а также иконографические и стилистические параллели. Автор выдвигает собственную интерпретацию живописной композиции, ее функции в объемно-пространственном решении комплекса.

This article explores the iconography and artistic features of the monumental paintings of Sigiriya, a Sri Lankan architectural and landscape monument, meaning “lion rock” in Sinhalese. On the flat summit of a rock plateau, rising almost 200 meters above the surrounding plain in the very center of the island, in the 5th century AD, King Kashyapa built a large palace and park complex, the ruins of which survive to this day. Sigiriya became a unique monument, a synthesis of the architectural knowledge and technical achievements of ancient Sri Lanka, demonstrating a high level of mastery in the visual arts. Only a fragment of the monumental painting that existed here in ancient times has survived to this day — 22 female figures painted on the rock face. Despite years of research, a number of questions regarding the purpose of creating the large-scale architectural and landscape complex of Sigiriya and the function of its individual elements, including the unique paintings, remain unclear and cause controversy within scholarly circles.

When studying the paintings of Sigiriya, a holistic approach is essential — their relationship to other artistic elements of the architectural complex, its layout, functionality, and overall conceptual design. Various interpretations of the female images of Sigiriya are examined, as well as iconographic and stylistic parallels. The author offers her own interpretation of the pictorial composition and its function within the spatial design of the complex.

Южная АзияСигирияархеологияреконструкцияискусствоиконографиямифологияживописьархитектураискусствоведениетеория и история искусстваSouth AsiaSigiriyaarchaeologyreconstructionarticonographymythologypaintingarchitectureart historytheory and history of artReferencesLohuizen de Leeuw J.E. The Ancient art of Sri Lanka // Museum. 1981. Vol. XXXIII, № 4. P. 238—246.Lohuizen de Leeuw J.E. The Ancient Art of Sri Lanka, Museum, 1981, vol. XXXIII, no. 4, pp. 238—246.Тюляев С.И., Бонгард-Левин Г.М. Искусство Шри Ланка. Древний и средневековый период. Москва : Искусство, 1974. 205 с.Tyulyaev S.I., Bongard-Levin G.M. Iskusstvo Shri Lanka. Drevnii i srednevekovyi period [The Art of Sri Lanka. Ancient and Medieval Periods]. Moscow, Iskusstvo Publ., 1974, 205 p.Forbes J. Eleven Years in Ceylon: Comprising Sketches of the Field Sports and Natural History of that Colony and an Account of Its History and Antiquities. London : R. Bentley, 1840. 423 р.Forbes J. Eleven Years in Ceylon: Comprising Sketches of the Field Sports and Natural History of That Colony, and an Account of Its History and Antiquities. London, R. Bentley Publ., 1840, 423 p.Nishanthi M. Plaster and Colour Technology of Ancient Sri Lankan Murals // Journal of History, Art and Archaeology. 2021. Vol. 1, № 1. P. 89—98.Nishanthi M. Plaster and Colour Technology of Ancient Sri Lankan Murals, Journal of History, Art and Archaeology, 2021, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 89—98.Agrawal O.P. Materials & Techniques of Ancient Wall Paintings of Sri Lanka. INTACH, Advanced Centre for Conservation, Research & Training & Sundeep Prakashan. New Delhi, 2002. 175 p.Agrawal O.P. Wickramasinghe N.A. Materials & Techniques of Ancient Wall Paintings of Sri Lanka. Lucknow, INTACH, Advanced Centre for Conservation, Research & Training Publ., New Delhi, Sundeep Prakashan Publ., 2002, 175 p.De Silva R.H. The Evaluation of the Technique of Sinhalese Wall Paintings // Ancient Ceylon. 1971. № 1. P. 90—104.De Silva R.H. The Evaluation of the Technique of Sinhalese Wall Paintings, Ancient Ceylon. 1971, no. 1, pp. 90—104.Bell H.C.P. Interim Report on the Operations of the Archaeological Survey at Sigiriya // Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 1897. № 48. P. 93—120.Bell H.C.P. Interim Report on the Operations of the Archaeological Survey at Sigiriya, Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1897, no. 48, pp. 93—120.Coomaraswamy A.K. Mediaeval Sinhalese Art. London : Pantheon Books, 1908. 340 р.Coomaraswamy A.K. Mediaeval Sinhalese Art. London, Pantheon Books Publ., 1908, 340 p.Chutiwongs N., Prematilleke L., Silva R. Paintings of Sri Lanka : Sigiriya. Colombo : Archaeological Survey of Sri Lanka and Central Cultural Fund, 1990. P. 37—47.Chutiwongs N., Prematilleke L., Silva R. Paintings of Sri Lanka: Sigiriya. Colombo, Archaeological Survey of Sri Lanka and Central Cultural Fund Publ., 1990, pp. 37—47.De Silva R. Painting (Early Period 247 BC to AD 900) // Archaeological Department Centenary (1890—1990). Commemorative Series. Vol. 5 : Painting. Colombo : Government Press, 1990. P. 3—44.De Silva R. Painting (Early Period 247 BC to AD 900), Archaeological Department Centenary Volume 1890—1990: Commemorative Series, vol. 5: Painting, Colombo, Government Press Publ., 1990, pp. 3—44.Deraniyagala P.E.P. Some Sidelights on the Sinhala Monastery-Fortress of Sihagiri. Spolia Zeylanica, Colombo : Government Press, 1951. Vol. 26. Part I. P. 69—75.Deraniyagala P.E.P. Some Sidelights on the Sinhala Monastery-Fortress of Sihagiri. Spolia Zeylanica, Colombo, Government Press Publ., 1951, vol. 26, part I, pp. 69—75.Dissanayake S. Sigiriya: Its Famous Paintings, Royal Park and Other Elements of the City. Kurunegala : Anura Printers, 2011. 250 р.Dissanayake S. Sigiriya: Its Famous Paintings, Royal Park and Other Elements of the City. Kurunegala, Anura Printers Publ., 2011, 250 p.Karunaratne W.S. Pasveni Satavarshayedi Mahayana Vihara Arama Tibunu Bavata Sitanna Amarui (It is difficult to believe that there were Mahayanic Monasteries in the Fifth Century). Vatmana, 1997. 25 р. (инд. яз.)Karunaratne W.S. Pasveni Satavarshayedi Mahayana Vihara Arama Tibunu Bavata Sitanna Amarui (It Is Difficult to Believe That There Were Mahayanic Monasteries in the Fifth Century). Vatmana, 1997, 25 p. (in Ind.).Cooray N. The Sigiriya Royal Gardens: Analysis of the Landscape Architectonic. Architecture and the Built Environment. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012. 288 р.Cooray N. The Sigiriya Royal Gardens: Analysis of the Landscape Architectonic. Architecture and the Built Environment. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012, 288 p.Paranavitana S. The Subject of Sigiri Painting // India Antiqua. Leyden : Brill Archive, 1947. 329 р.Paranavitana S. The Subject of Sigiri Painting, India Antiqua. Leyden, Brill Archive Publ., 1947, 329 p.Biedermann Z., Strathern A. Sri Lanka at the Crossroads of History. London : UCL Press, 2017. 354 р.Biedermann Z., Strathern A. Sri Lanka at the Crossroads of History. London, UCL Press Publ., 2017, 354 p.Weerasinghe J. The “Apsaras” of Political Promises: A Re-reading of the Meaning and Function of 5th Century “Apsara” Mural at Sigiriya. Battaramulla : Neptune Publications, 2010. P. 231—240.Weerasinghe J. The “Apsaras” of Political Promises: A Re-Reading of the Meaning and Function of 5th Century “Apsara”Mural at Sigiriya. Battaramulla, Neptune Publ., 2010, pp. 231—240.Khandekar S. Maharashtra Rocks to Prof Walter Spink. 2015. 21 January. URL: https: www.themetrognome.in/art-and-culture/event/maharashtra-rocks-to-prof-walter-spin (дата обращения: 21.08.2025).Khandekar S. Maharashtra Rocks to Prof Walter Spink. 2015, January 21. Available at: https://www.themetrognome.in/art-and-culture/event/maharashtra-rocks-to-prof-walter-spin (accessed 21.08.2025).Воробьева Д.Н. Пещерный комплекс Аджанты в рамках современных исследований. Теория Вальтера Спинка // Декоративное искусство и предметно-пространственная среда. Вестник РГХПУ им. С.Г. Строганова. 2022. № 2—1. С. 113—124. DOI: 10.37485/1997-4663_2022_2_1_113_124.Vorobyeva D.N. Ajanta Cave Complex in the Framework of the Modern Research. Walter Spink Theory, Dekorativnoe iskusstvo i predmetno-prostranstvennaya sreda Vestnik RGKHPU im. S.G. Stroganova [Decorative Art and Environment. Gerald of the RGHPU], 2022, no. 2—1, pp. 113—124. DOI: 10.37485/1997-4663_2022_2_1_113_124 (in Russ.).Rowland B. The Wall-Paintings of India, Central Asia & Ceylon. Boston : Printed at the Merrymount Press, 1938. 248 р.Rowland B. The Wall-Paintings of India, Central Asia & Ceylon. Boston, Merrymount Press Publ., 1938, 248 p.Сыртыпова С.-Х.Д. Образ богини Тары у Дзанабазара в ряду его предшественников и последователей — от Шри-Ланки до Сибири // Ориенталистика. 2020. Т. 3, № 2. С. 348—378. DOI: 10.31696/2618-7043-2020-3-2-348-378.Syrtypova S.-Kh.D. Interpretation of the Image of the Goddess Tara by Zanabazar Compared to That by His Predecesors and Followers (from Sri Lanka to Siberia), Orientalistika [Orientalistiсa], 2020, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 348—378. DOI: 10.31696/2618-7043-2020-3-2-348-378 (in Russ.).Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara: A Masterpiece of Sinhalese Sculpture // The British Museum : официальный сайт. 2020. 15 октября. URL: https://www.bmitpglobalnetwork.org/2020/10/15/bodhisattva-avalokiteshvara-a-masterpiece-of-sinhalese-sculpture/ (дата обращения: 21.08.2025).Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara: A Masterpiece of Sinhalese Sculpture, The British Museum: official website. 2020, October 15. Available at: https://www.bmitpglobalnetwork.org/2020/10/15/bodhisattva-avalokiteshvara-a-masterpiece-of-sinhalese-sculpture/ (accessed 21.08.2025).Chandrajeewa S. Veragala aValokiteśVara Bodhisattva: an Inquiry into Its Style & Period (The Mahāyāna Buddhist Bronze Statue from Colombo Museum). The Contemporary Art and Crafts Association of Sri Lanka Publ., 2019. 101 р.Chandrajeewa S. Veragala aValokiteśVara Bodhisattva: An Inquiry into Its Style & Period (The Mahāyāna Buddhist Bronze Statue from Colombo Museum). The Contemporary Art and Crafts Association of Sri Lanka Publ., 2019, 101 p.Gupta V.K., Zin M. Parinirvāṇa representations in the art of Mathura: A Study Based on the Discovery of a Unique Parinirvāṇa Stele from the Varāha Temple of Mathura // Art of the Orient. 2016. Vol. 5. P. 37—60. URL: https://czasopisma.marszalek.com.pl/images/pliki/aoto/5/aoto503.pdf (дата обращения: 21.08.2025).Gupta V.K., Zin M. Parinirvāa Representations in the Аrt of Mathura: A Study Based on the Discovery of a Unique Parinirvāa Stele from the Varāha Temple of Mathura, Art of the Orient, 2016, vol. 5, pp. 37—60. Available at: https://czasopisma.marszalek.com.pl/images/pliki/aoto/5/aoto503.pdf (accessed 21.08.2025).Nackin J. Nouvelles recherches archéologiques à Begram, ancienne Kâpicî (1939—1940). Mémoires de la Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan. Paris : Presses Universitaires, 1954. T. 11. 353 p.Nackin J. Nouvelles Recherches Archéologiques à Begram, Ancienne Kâpicî (1939—1940). Mémoires de la Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan. Paris, Presses Universitaires Publ., 1954, vol. 11, 353 p.Kumar-Dumas D. Reading Architecture in Landscape: Visitor Reflections at a Mirror Wall (Sigiriya, Sri Lanka) : Chapter 5 // Art, Architecture, and the Moving Viewer, c. 300—1500 CE. Leiden, The Netherlands : Brill, 2022. P. 150—184. DOI: 10.1163/97890045105555_007.Kumar-Dumas D. Reading Architecture in Landscape: Visitor Reflections at a Mirror Wall (Sigiriya, Sri Lanka): Chapter 5, Art, Architecture, and the Moving Viewer, c. 300—1500 CE. Leiden, The Netherlands, Brill Publ., 2022, pp. 150—184. DOI: 10.1163/97890045105555_007.Сутра о Бесчисленных Значениях; Сутра о Цветке Лотоса Чудесной Дхармы; Сутра о Постижении Деяний и Дхармы Бодхисаттвы Всеобъемлющая Мудрость / подгот. А.Н. Игнатович, В.В. Северская. Москва : Ладомир, 2007. 527 с.Ignatovich A.N., Severskaya V.V. Sutra o Beschislennykh Znacheniyakh; Sutra o Tsvetke Lotosa Chudesnoi Dkharmy; Sutra o Postizhenii Deyanii i Dkharmy Bodkhisattvy Vseob”emlyushchaya Mudrost’ [The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings; The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma; The Sutra of Contemplation of the Dharma Practice of Universal Sage Bodhisattva]. Moscow, Ladomir Publ., 2007, 527 p.Ekanayake W. Sigiriya Painters as Predecessors of the Impressionists // Sinhalese Literature. Kandу : Wariyapola Sri Sumangala College, 1993. P. 118—120.Ekanayake W. Sigiriya Painters as Predecessors of the Impressionists. Sinhalese Literature. Kandy, Wariyapola Sri Sumangala College Publ., 1993, pp. 118—120.Воробьева Д.Н. Иконография полубожественных музыкантов в скульптуре Аджанты, Эллоры, Аурангабада : дис. … канд. искусствоведения. Москва, 2013. 245 с.Vorobyeva D.N. Ikonografiya polubozhestvennykh muzykantov v skul’pture Adzhanty, Ehllory, Aurangabada [Iconography of Semi-Divine Musicians in the Sculptures of Ajanta, Ellora, and Aurangabad], Cand. art his. sci. diss. Moscow, 2013, 245 p.Bandaranayake S. The Lion Mountain and the Palace in the Sky: Notes on the Identity of the Royal Complex at Sigiriya. Bangkok and Colombo : SPAFA Regional Center of Archaeology and Fine Arts and the Abhinandanamala Committee, 2010. 220 р.Bandaranayake S. The Lion Mountain and the Palace in the Sky: Notes on the Identity of the Royal Complex at Sigiriya. Bangkok and Colombo, SPAFA Regional Center of Archaeology and Fine Arts and the Abhinandanamala Committee Publ., 2010, 220 p.Bandaranayake S. The Rock and Wall Paintings of Sri Lanka. Colombo : Lake House Book Shop, 1986. 300 р.Bandaranayake S. The Rock and Wall Paintings of Sri Lanka. Colombo, Lake House Book Shop Publ., 1986, 300 p.Bandaranayake S. Approaches to the Settlement Archaeology of the Sigiriya-Dambulla Region // The Settlement Archaeology of the Sigiriya-Dambulla Region / by ed. S. Bandaranayake, M. Mogren, S. Epitawatte. Colombo : University of Kelaniya, 1990. P. 15—38.Bandaranayake S. Approaches to the Settlement Archaeology of the Sigiriya-Dambulla Region, The Settlement Archaeology of the Sigiriya-Dambulla Region. Colombo, University of Kelaniya Publ., 1990, pp. 15—38.

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest present.