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Intellectual Cultural Heritage
35
Nang Yai
is an old form of Thailand’s traditional
per forming ar ts. The leather puppets represent the
characters in the story. They are manipulated against a blank
screen by the puppeteers, whi le the story progresses
through narration and dialogue narration.
Historical evidence of
Nang Yai
dates back to the
reign of King Borommatrailokanat, when
Nang Yai
was
mentioned in the Palace Law. Several other sources dating
f rom the Ayut thaya era al so bear test imony to thi s
performing art form.
Nang Yai
is hailed as a high art form and is performed
during royal ceremonies and important national events and
occasions.
The Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 AD dealt a serious blow
to the performing arts, ancient monuments and objects,
which were later restored in the Ratanakosin era. At the time
of the restoration, several
Nang Yai
troupes mushroomed,
but they mostly belonged to temples. The
Nang Yai
in this
period was called “
Nang Rat
” (“Commoners’ Shadow Puppet
Spectacle”).
Nang Yai
Distinctive characteristics of
Nang Ya
i:
1. The puppets are made of cowhide leather, cut and
perforated to let the light shine through the intricate design.
Each puppet is fixed to wooden sticks, which the puppeteers
lift up against a blank screen that is lighted from behind;
2. The rectangular screen is made of white cloth
surrounded by strips of red cloth to highlight it;
3. The music from a Grand
Pi Phat
orchestra
accompanies the movements of puppeteers and the puppets
and contributes to the emotional expression of the spectacle;
4. The puppeteers are exclusively men. They dance
their role to the musical accompaniment as they manipulate
and bring the puppets to life;
5. There is one story narrator and one dialogue
narrator. They sit in their corner on opposite sides of the
screen. These narrators must understand the story very well
and understand the music that accompanies the spectacle;
6. In the old time, the night-time performances
were lighted by fire that used the coconut shells as fuel
because they give off a beautiful glow on the screen;
7. The spectacle usually depicts the story from
Ramakian.
Nang Yai
spectacle harmoniously integrates several
art forms–handicraft, literature, dance, rhetoric, and music.
Besides the Fine Arts Department and the Bandit
Phatthana Sin Institute, both
of which are responsible for
preserving the
Nang Yai
performing arts, only three
Nang Yai
t roupes exi st
in Thailand: the troupe of
Wat Khanon Temple in
Ratchaburi Province, one of
Wat Sawang Arom Temple
in Sing Buri Province, and
one of Wat Ban Don Temple
in Rayong Province.