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Krasnodembskaya N., Soboleva E. New Chapters in the History of the Rakshas, the Central Character of a Museum Detective Story

Nina Krasnodembskaya
Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
ORCID 0000-0003-0193-3905
E-mail: nigekrasno@mail.ru

Elena Soboleva
Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
ORCID 0000-0001-6137-0476
E-mail: soboleva@kunstkameta.ru

 

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ABSTRACT. The article reveals the history of a giant figure from Ceylon given to the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography by the Imperial Russian Geographical Society in 1905 along with other ethnographic collections. Albert Grünwedel, the head of the India Department at the Berliner Museum für Völkerkunde, identified the sculpture as a Ceylonese demon (yaksha). In 1912, two giant figures were installed at the entrance to the MAE: a “Deity of the Hunt” from Annam and a “Rakshas from Ceylon”, becoming symbols of the museum. Many myths emerged about the rakshas: it was mistakenly reckoned among the objects obtained by Tsesarevich Nikolai Aleksandrovich during his Oriental voyage in 1890–1891, and interpreted as an evil demon, not a guardian of the dwelling; even the Ceylon origin of the figure was questioned. Documents testify that the sculpture was donated by Albert Aleksandrovich Khomze (?–1912), a philanthropist, full member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, and managing director of a Russian tea trade company Jung Long. Belief in demons is widespread in Indonesia, Malaysia and Indochina, whose cultures developed under the strongest influence of South Indian and Sri Lankan Hinduism and Buddhism. In Ceylon, huge figures of terrifying appearance are still present in the perahyara festive ritual processions of Sinhalese Buddhists; despite being dangerous to people, demons here act as their protectors. Sculptures and sculptural compositions taller than traditional dwellings are also most typical of the Tamil ethnic group of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

 

KEYWORDS: Ceylon, demonology, Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, collections, tea trade

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8619-2021-2(12)-06-16
УДК 069.02:39

 

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