• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.67-105
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• 2014

This study focuses on the iconography of Hindu deities in Bagan period. As a country in Southeast Asia, Myanmar received her culture from Indianized culture. As aforesaid, sailors, traders, and settlers brought with them Brahmanism and Buddhism into Myanmar. A possibility is that local chiefs or the rulers invited Brahmans to conduct coronations, weddings, and burials in Brahmanical rites as they will much impressed by the Brahmanical thoughts and beliefs. Accordingly, Brahmanic icons as objects of worship are found quite in number of places, especially in Thaton, Bago, Vesali, Sriksetra, Bagan and Kawgoon. Apart from Buddhist iconography, the Brahmanic icons of various sects can be found in Bagan. Brahmanic deities are illustrated with Buddhist painting, which is a characteristic of Baganreligious iconography. Most of the scenes on Hinduism are to be found in NatlaungKyaung, Nanpaya and Shwesandaw Pagoda. Myanmar people, however, knowingly or unknowingly ignore some features of Indian deitiesand eventually the iconsare found in various places in Bagan.

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.155-175
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• 2015

This paper will reveal the legacy of women in the Bagan Period (10th to 11th century A.D.) traced through the early evidences of female figures that could only found in the stones of KyaukkuUmin and in the terracotta of Shwesandaw and Phetleik temples. There have been some writings on the women of the Bagan Period from different perspectives. The role of women from the Bagan Period mentioned in different records and as empowerment of Myanmar Women in the past will be analyzed. Through these female images and other unearthed artifacts found in Bagan, portrayals of womanhood in Myanmar early sculpture will be studied. The role of women in the Bagan will be observed by looking closely at what remains of the sculptures, as well as the craftsmanship applied to the works, which are usually in terracotta, wood, or stone.

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.75-86
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• 2016

This paper examines the pagodas during the Bagan period, which are thought to be most valuable among those in Myanmar. They have not been sufficiently studied, in spite of their high Buddhist status. It considers the contemplation of Pato, their formal characteristics in the Bagan period and the formal categorizations of pagodas in the same period. Thus, following seven kinds of conclusions are derived: first, researchers provide opinions to the Pato which should be regarded as the Buddhist shrine-type of pagoda with a unique Bagan form, symbolically indicating that Theravada Buddhism incorporated Hinduism; second, the terraces were characteristic components in pagodas, during the Bagan period, which were built after the enthronement of King Anawratha and are thought to symbolically express the wish to widely spread Theravada Buddhism; third, Shwesandaw Zedi seems to affect not only Shwezigon Zedi, a representative standard form of pagoda in Myanmar, but also Ananda Pato; fourth, it is thought to be proper to examine the terraces by classifying them into lower, central(from pedestals to Angryeon and Bokryeon) and upper part, if it intends to divide a pagoda with bell-shaped body on the terraces during the Bagan period, into three parts; fifth, the Pato may be identified as a form of pagoda during the Bagan period, and such a form can be classified as that of Sikhara on the rectangular terrace; sixth, forms of Myanmar's pagodas can be classified into fourteen kinds of them, and they may be also grouped into transmitted, general and special type; and seventh, on the basis of the findings, it is thought that the pagodas during the Bagan period may be classified into six forms, and they can be largely categorized into transmitted, general and special type.