A small round keepsake from Sri Lanka: a glossy green disc painted with the face of the Ginidal Raksha, the fire demon of the island's mask tradition, with "Sri Lanka" written beneath it in white brush script. It works as a fridge magnet, holding a note, a photo or a postcard to any steel surface.
The design. The Ginidal Raksha is recognised by its crown of flames, painted here in red and yellow with dark outlines, above a green face with round staring eyes, a row of white teeth with fangs at the corners, and a pink tongue. The whole disc has a glossy finish, and the green is carried round its thick edge.
About the mask it shows. Full-size Ginidal masks are carved in wood on Sri Lanka's southern coast and painted in the colours of fire; in folk belief the angry face is there to frighten misfortune away. See the carved Ginidal Raksha Mask, or read about Raksha masks.
The lettering and colours are painted, so each magnet differs a little from the next and from the photographs.
