The so-called Devanampiyatissa Statue is found standing on the premises of Ambastala Stupa at Mihintale Monastery in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka. It is considered one of the earliest statues in the country (Wijesekera, 1962).
The broken statue which is believed to be a representation of King Devanampiyatissa (247-207 B.C.) stands on a pedestal carved in the shape of an open lotus. The arms are broken and the body looks more early Egyptian than early Sinhalese (Wijesekera, 1962). The lower garment is portrayed as a skirt and the head may not be part of the original image (Wijesekera, 1962). The details of the statue can not be discovered owing to its bad state of preservation (Wijesekera, 1962).
Some scholars such as Nandadeva Wijesekera have dated this statue to the 2nd century B.C. (Wijesekera, 1962).
References
1) Wijesekera, N., 1962. Early Sinhalese Sculpture. M.D. Gunasena & Co. Ltd. Colombo. p.243.
