Colombo National Museum

The largest museum in Sri Lanka, founded in 1877, occupies an Italianate colonial building set in gardens in the Cinnamon Gardens district of Colombo. Its most famous object is the ornate golden throne of the Kandyan kings, displayed alongside regalia, ancient bronzes and Buddhist sculpture. Galleries trace the island's history from prehistory through the Anuradhapura and Kandy kingdoms to the colonial period. Palm-leaf manuscripts, masks and paintings round out a comprehensive national collection.