Pyatthat

The pyatthat is made of successive gabled rectangular roofs in an exaggerated pyramidal shape, with an intervening box-like structure called the lebaw ({{lang|my|လည်ပေါ်}}) between each roof. The pyatthat is crowned with a wooden spire called the taing bu ({{lang|my|တိုင်ဖူး}}) or kun bu ({{lang|my|ကွန်းဖူး}}) depending on its shape, similar to the hti, an umbrella ornament that crowns Burmese pagodas. The edges of each tier are gold-gilded decorative designs made of metal sheet, with decorative ornaments called du yin ({{lang|my|တုရင်}}) at the corners (analogous to the Thai chofah). There are three primary kinds of pyatthat, with the variation being the number of tiers called boun ({{lang|my|ဘုံ}}, from Pali bhumi). Three-tiered, five-tiered and seven-tiered roofs are called yahma, thooba, and thooyahma, respectively.{{cite book |title=The Burman, His Life and Notions |last=Scott |first=James George |year=1910 |publisher=BiblioBazaar |isbn=978-1-115-23195-4 |page=126 }}

File:021 Temple Scene, Kyauktawgyi, Amarapura.jpg.]]

The usage of the pyatthat began early in Burmese architecture, with examples dating to the Pagan period.{{cite book |title=Imperial Pagan: art and architecture of Burma |last=Strachan |first=Paul |year=1990 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |isbn=978-0-8248-1325-3 }} Prominent examples from this era that feature the pyatthat include the Ananda Temple and Gawdawpalin Temple

In pre-colonial Burma, the pyatthat was a prominent feature in the royal buildings, which itself symbolized Tavatimsa, a Buddhist heaven. Above the main throne in the king's primary audience hall was a nine-tiered pyatthat, with the tip representing Mount Meru ({{lang|my|မြင်းမိုရ်}}) and the lower six tiers representing the six abodes of the devas and of humans.{{cite book |title=Essays on Burma |last=Ferguson |first=John |year=1981 |publisher=Brill Archive |isbn=978-90-04-06323-5 |page=53 }} Furthermore, the 12 city gates of Burmese royal capitals were crowned with pyatthats, with the main ones used by royalty possessing five tiers, and the others possessing five tiers.{{Cite journal|last=Michael|first=Aung-Thwin|year=1986|title=Heaven, Earth, and the Supernatural World: Dimensions of the Exemplary Center in Burmese History|journal=Journal of Developing Societies|volume=2|id={{ProQuest|1307834694}}}}

In pre-colonial Burma, sumptuary laws restricted the usage of pyatthats to royal and religious buildings,{{Cite book|title=Burmese Crafts: Past and Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vx3rAAAAMAAJ|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780195886085|language=en|first=Sylvia|last=Fraser-Lu|year=1994}} and regulated the number of tiers appertaining to each grade of official rank,{{Cite book|title=Wood Carving Of Burma|last=Tilly|first=Henry L.|publisher=Superintendent, Government Printing|year=1903|location=Burma}} The nine-tiered pyatthat was reserved solely for the kingdom's sovereign, while the sawbwas of important tributary states were entitled to seven-tiered pyatthats.{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/burmaunderbritis01nisb|title=Burma Under British Rule--and Before|last=Nisbet|first=John|publisher=A. Constable|year=1901|language=en}}

File:King Mindon's Tomb, Mandalay.jpg

File:Mandalay Palace entrance.JPG

File:Mandalay palace 10.jpg

File:King Thibaw's State Barge on the Mandalay Moat.jpg

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{{commons category|Pyatthats}}

• Prasat (Thai architecture)
• Prang (architecture)
• Meru tower
• Kyaung

Category:Roofs

Category:Burmese Buddhist architecture