Location: Inside the Bagan city-wall, west of That-byin-nyu. It is beside the dirt road bringing the Nat-hlaung-kyaung (Hindu) temple and the Pahto-thamya temple together.
Year Built: This is dated to most likely the 9th century by Pyu builders. There is only one other example if this type of glazed stupa (the Shin-pa-hto or Sintzedi).
Builder/Monarch: Unknown, this stupa is believed to be Chinese in origin. The Pyu had just fallen to the Nanchao, according to Strachen’s book.
Architectural details: The sanctum is hollow and accessible from above. The bricks are still covered by the original green glaze. The Pyu may have learned this from the Chinese, or the Chinese built it. Crude brickwork, not so long and tight fitting as they were from the 10th century on. However, they are also described as being made from a curved mould and then fired with a glaze. Then, because of the uneven shape of the dome, the curvature of the brick moulds required precise calculation. The original base is missing and may have been circular or square.
Renovations: The top was missing for centuries and was restored in the 1990s. It’s called a conjectural replacement because no one really knows what it looked like before it was lost. Metal bands were installed after the 1975 earthquake.
References:
Ancient Pagan: Buddhist Plain of Merit, Donald Stadtner, River Books, 2013
Pagan: Art and Architecture of Old Burma, Paul Strachan, Kiscadale Publications, 1989
Guide to Bagan Monuments by Min Bu Aung Kyaing, U Zaw Min Aye (Zaw Press), 2007
Inventory Of Monuments In Bagan, Pierre Pichard, UNESCO, 8 volumes, 1992-2001