1979 - Sri Lanka - Flora and Fauna
Laki Senanayaka Paintings
10 Rupee note

In 1977 Laki Senanayaka was commissioned to design, draw and Paint the set of currency Notes based on the theme Endemic Flora and Fauna of Sri Lanka, which were issued by the Central Bank of Ceylon (CBSL) dated 1979-03-26 and put into circulation in 1980 August.
Illustrates how the layout design of the Rs 10 note was developed.
On left, back of Note drawn in
landscape, as was the tradition
before this 1979 issue.
Ceylon grey hornbill
(Tockus Griseus Gingalensis)
Front: Landscape
At the centre is a bird, the common Ceylon grey hornbill (Tockus Griseus Gingalensis), atop a velvet tamarind tree (Dialium Oviodeum), set off against a scenic background.
Back: Portrait
At left centre, is a bird, the yellow eared bulbul (Pycnonotus Penicillatus), atop a evergreen small tree (Rhododendron Arboreum) with the largest red Rhododendron flowers. At left bottom is a rare wild daffodil orchid (Ipsea Speciosa), and on the right side a common hour-glass tree-frog (Rhacophorus Cruciger Eques).

This Note displays Endemic Sri Lanka Flora and Fauna from the Hakgala Botanical Gardens established in 1861 in Nuwera Eliya at an altitude of 5400 feet (1650 meters). the mid altitudes. The back represents the hill country.

(Above)
Dialium Oviodeum Laki'77

Yellow eared Bulbul (right)
Pycnonotus Penicillatus
Laki'77


Laki'77 Rhododendron Flowers - Hakgala
Laki'77 Rhododendron - Hakgala

On Laki's request the back of the notes switched to Portrait mode for the first time, and has remained that way for all future series of definitive currency notes issued in Sri Lanka.

The website lakisenanayake.com has images of 44 of his designs which had been painted at about 3 times the scale and had been scanned at 100 dpi. Displayed above at 50 dpi of the issued note. I thank Dominic Sansoni and Laki's daughter Mintaka for permission to use the images of these paintings in the notes.lakdiva.org.lk website.