Piha Kaetta

[derek]

Hi Mike,
This is a good question. The ornate pihas, like Bill's, were made exclusively by the Pattal Hattara (The Four Workshops). They were employed directly by the Kings in Kandy. The last Kandyan king was in the early 1800's, and the workshops are no longer in existence today. From talking to Mr. Mohan Daniels, who owns a gallery in Colombo, there have been no pihas made since. However, I don't know if this applies to the less ornate "fighting" versions.

I have one piha that I would call a modern repro of the ornate style. I've posted pics before. The blade is flat and looks to have been ground. The patterns on the grip are out of sync with the style that was taught (this is a subject in itself) and employed by the workshop artisans, and the quality pales in comparison.

Maybe there is a cousin to the piha that is still used for work? I don't know, but I've spoken to four Sir Lankans (two antique dealers, a collector, and one professor) who all maintain that the the making of pihas is a lost art.

-d