Nang yai
Nang yai (Thai: หนังใหญ่, pronounced [nǎŋ jàj]) is a form of shadow play found in Thailand. Puppets are made of painted buffalo hide, while the story is narrated by songs, chants and music.[1]
Nang yai and nang talung incorporate various episodes of the Indian epic
Performances are traditionally held in open spaces such as a lawn or village dirt space. A white cloth screen about 16 metres (52 ft) long and 6 metres (20 ft) high, with a decorated border, is stretched across the stage. Behind the screen, a bonfire is lit to project the puppets' shadows (electric lights are often used instead now). During the show, a Thai instrumental ensemble (usually a piphat) plays music appropriate to each episode, synchronized with the puppets' action. Offstage reciters tell the story in a sort of heightened speech.[6] The puppet figures are made from perforated cow or buffalo hide, each weighing about three or four kilograms. The biggest puppet is one which characterizes a place, weighing around five to seven kilograms.
Nang yai influenced that khon, a dance-drama art form from Thailand which involves masked pantomime.[2]
The Thai Shadow Puppets, or Nang shadow puppets play a crucial role in imparting Thai cultural values, historical narratives, and mythological tales through two primary puppet varieties:
Nang yai can be found throughout Thailand. For example, in
See also
References
- ^ "Nang Yai Puppetry: A Dramatic Art Form of Thailand", Michael Meschke, SPAFA Journal, Vol. 16, No. 6, pages 17-28
- ^ ISBN 978-0-674-02874-6.
- ^ Thai Shadow Puppet Show Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine, Museum of Anthropology, University of Missouri (2015)
- ^ Irving Chan Johnson (1998), "Review: Shadows of Life: Nang Talung, Thai Popular Shadow Theatre". Sven Broman, Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Sep., 1998), Cambridge University Press, pp. 464-466
- ^ Lian Lim, Siew (2013). "The Role of Shadow Puppetry in the Development of Phatthalung Province, Thailand" (PDF). siewlianlim.com. Southeast Asia Club Conference, Northern Illinois University. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
- ISBN 9781135901547.
- ^ "Theatrical Traditions: Thai Puppetry and Shadow Plays". www.thaicyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ สำนักงานคณะกรรมการวัฒนธรรมแห่งชาติ[permanent dead link]
External links
- Transmitting the Ramayana Epic from India to Southeast Asia and the West through Shadow Puppetry and Visual Art, Siew Lian Lim, Northern Illinois University (2009)
- Invocations to Nataraja in the Southeast Asian Shadow-Plays, S Singaravelu, Journal of the Siam Society (1970)