Sri Lanka 2018 set features exorcism ritual dancers

Stamp Market Tips by Henry Gitner and Rick Miller

One of the great things about stamp collecting is that there is generally something for every interest. On Aug. 8, 2018, Sri Lanka issued a set of 18 stamps and three souvenir sheets (Scott 2144-2161; 2157a, 2160a, 2161a) depicting traditional Sinhalese exorcism ritual dancers.

The Sinhalese are an Indo-European ethnic group closely related to the people of India. Making up about 75 percent of the population of Sri Lanka, they form the largest ethnic group of the island nation. They are predominantly Theravada Buddhists.

The traditional Sinhalese exorcism ritual is called Sanni yakuma. The ritual features 18 masked dancers, each with a distinctive dance that represents a human ailment.

The dances call forth and banish the demons who are believed to be responsible for the ailment, thereby cleansing and healing the sufferer.

Each stamp in the set illustrates one of the masked dancers from the ritual. The masks are demonic and grotesque as are the dance moves. The three souvenir sheets reprise the individual stamps.

The Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue values the set of 18 stamps at $4.50 in both mint, never-hinged condition and used condition. The souvenir sheets are valued at $1.50 each in mint, never-hinged condition and in used condition.

The stamp set and souvenir sheets are a good buy at full Scott catalog value.

This issue is of interest to collectors of religion on stamps, as well as any collector with a taste for the grotesque and demonic.

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