Splendour In Wood: The Buddhist Monasteries Of Burma

Book Summary

This book introduces the reader to the beauty and genius of Burmese craftsmanship as expressed in the construction and embellishment of Buddhist wooden monasteries. The five chapters of Part I review the development of Buddhism and monasteries in Burma, the place of monks and monasteries in society, and the processes in building a monastery. Detailed accounts of monastic establishments in the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial eras are also presented. In the three chapters of Part II are descriptions of nearly ninety different edifices visited by the author in the course of her research in Upper and Lower Burma, Central Burma, and the Shan state. For posterity, the details of many wooden monasteries are recorded, not only the "old" and the "beautiful" but also others with architectural features of note. The book is copiously illustrated with sketches of floor plans and architectural details of many monasteries, and photographs of significant features.

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