The Kuthodaw Pagoda, Myanmar: collaborative conservation of a UNESCO Memory of the World site

Abstract

The Kuthodaw Pagoda complex in Mandalay, Myanmar is listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, valuable for its 729 marble stelae each housed in a white-washed mini-pagoda and inscribed with Theravāda Buddhist texts written in Pali, and known as the ‘World’s Biggest Book’. In 2013 Australia’s Nan Tien Institute, Wollongong, and the University of Sydney worked with the Myanmar Ministry of Culture, the Mandalay Department of Archaeology and the custodians of the Kuthodaw Pagoda site to conserve, photograph, digitise and make a freely available database for the study of the inscribed texts. This paper describes the collaborative conservation project that included condition assessment, documentation, conservation work to the stelae and site, local staff training, and provision of a practical maintenance plan. The successful development and execution of this preservation project was due to a productive cultural dialogue that was based on consultative discussion between all parties, willingness to co-operate, and consideration of Buddhist customs, traditional crafts, local practice, and the impact of visitors and natural agencies on the site.

Keywords:

• Kuthodaw Pagoda
• Myanmar
• Theravāda Buddhism
• UNESCO Memory of the World Register
• World’s Biggest Book
• Stone conservation
• Site management
• South East Asia

Acknowledgements

Permission to undertake the cleaning and conservation of the Kuthodaw Pagoda stelae was kindly granted by U Aye Myint Kyu, Minister of Culture, Myanmar Ministry of Culture, Myanmar (February 2015). The team also worked closely with U Kyaw Oo Lwin, the Director-General of the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library, Ministry of Culture, Myanmar, and the Custodians of the site. The author was ably assisted by Chris Clark, University of Sydney, and Grace Flitter, University of Plymouth, and the wonderful staff of the Department of Archaeology, Mandalay. Dr Elizabeth Carter of the University of Sydney Vibrational Spectroscopy Core Facility undertook analysis of the coating material. The author is most grateful to Mark Allon, University of Sydney, for offering the exciting opportunity to work at Kuthodaw. This project was funded by a three-year grant from the Chuo Academic Research Institute, (CARI) of Rissho Kosei-kai, Japan.

Author Biography

Dr Wendy Reade is a conservator employed at the Sydney University Museums. She works in the field in the Middle East, Egypt, the Balkans and Myanmar on a range of projects, and has lectured in Archaeology at the University of Sydney for fourteen years. She is President of the Near East Archaeology Foundation at the University and is Honorary Associate in the Department of Archaeology. Email: [email protected]

ORCID

WENDY J. READE http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9593-2887

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by a three year grant from the Chuo Academic Research Institute, (CARI) of Rissho Kosei-kai, Japan.