Details
Panbu is the skill of creating artistic reliefs by carving natural materials such as wood, ivory, clay, wax, etc. It is the art of sketching, molding (modeling) raw material and carving to achieve the scale ratio of the drawn image. On the square of Shwedagon Pagoda, Rakhine Hall, 7-day donors’ Hall, Shwe Ceti Hall, Eastern Devotional Hall, etc., are decorated with Burmese woodcarving. On each level of Burmese spire-like roof, Burmese artwork such as Mou Pan (decorated archway), Ale Tuyin Pan (middle vertical ornamental pillar), Daun Tuyin Pan (corner vertical ornamental pillar), Daun (corner) Pan, Pfoun Pan (ovolo molding), Pfoun Panswe` (barge-board), bronze band, Asaw (type of flamboyant ornamentation), Chuu Pan/ Chuu Nwe (floral arabesque), flowers, Pan Pyaut (carved floral design), Panchi (painting), Panbu (woodcarving) are decoratively built. At the 7-day donors’ Hall of Northern Square of the Pagoda, some of the tales from Jataka Tales 550 are depicted on each level of the spire-like roof and have been maintained over the years, including some colonial-style sculptures. In addition, in Rakhine Hall of the Saturday corner, on each level of the spire-like roof, the intricate work of Panbu, Chuu Pan/ Chuu Nwe (floral arabesque), flowers, flower figures in relief are the amazing art of the sculptor that we have rarely seen today.