In ancient PaliSanskrit, “oak” means “brick,” and this small vihara (chapel or sanctuary) is one of only a few brick monas- teries surviving from the early Bagan period. The building is best known for the excep- tionally wellpreserved frescoes that cloak its interior walls and ceilings. Rendered in earthy reds, greens, blacks, and browns, these are particularly rich with scenes of everyday life in the 11th century: market shopping, Arab traders, soldiers marching, and people bathing, cooking, and playing musical instru- ments, including the hsaing waing (Burmese musical ensem- ble) and saung gauk (Burmese harp). There is also some erotica. Although Ananda Oak Kyaung is locked as a rule, the caretaker who has the key lives in a house next to the com pound and will open it for visitors.