Six Kandyan artefacts seized during the Dutch colonial occupation of Sri Lanka and returned from the Netherlands recently, is on display at the Colombo National Museum.

The unveiling of the artefacts took place at the National Museum on 05 December with the participation of Minister of Buddha Sasana and Cultural Affairs, Vidura Wickramanayake, and the President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka.

The exhibits include a golden and silver kasthãné (ceremonial swords), two maha thuwakku (wall guns), and Lewke Disave’s cannon, taken away as war booty by the Dutch East India Company in 1765, during the siege of the Palace of Kandy.

The golden kastane is embellished with 136 diamonds and 13 rubies.

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Sri Lanka, Bonnie Horbach, the Ambassador for International Cultural Cooperation at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dewi van de Weerd, Ambassador of Egypt in Sri Lanka Maged Mosleh, the Director General of the National Museum Department, Sajani Kasturiarachchi, and several distinguished officials from both the Netherlands and Sri Lanka were present.