![Thailand-shadow-puppet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Thailand-shadow-puppet.jpg)
''Nang talung'' ( th, หนังตะลุง, ) is a traditional style of
shadow puppetry
Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated cut-out figures (shadow puppets) which are held between a source of light and a translucent screen or scrim. The cut-o ...
from
southern Thailand
Southern Thailand, Southern Siam or Tambralinga is a southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand region by the Kra Isthmus.
Geography
Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bounded ...
. Similar arts are found in
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. ''Nang'' means "leather" ("leather puppet" in this case), and ''talung'' is an abbreviation of
Pattalung
Phatthalung (, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of Phatthalung Province.
The town covers ''tambon
''Tambon'' ( th, ตำบล, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district ('' amphoe'') and prov ...
, a southern city where the shadow play tradition has long been popular. ''
Nang yai
''Nang yai'' ( th, หนังใหญ่, ) 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.
'' Nang'' means "leather" ("leather puppet" in this cas ...
'' features life-size puppets, while ''nang talung'' puppets are much smaller.
![Thailand-shadow-puppetry-nang-talung-stage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Thailand-shadow-puppetry-nang-talung-stage.jpg)
Southern Thailand's puppets are made of leather and are typically between 15 and 50 centimeters in size. The performance consists of the puppets, the narrator, the actor, and the musician. The actor and the audience are separated by a white screen during the show.
![Thailand-shadow-puppetry-nang-talung-animals](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Thailand-shadow-puppetry-nang-talung-animals.jpg)
''Nang talung'' has been extremely popular for a long time. On the other hand, the art form is slowly disappearing because it is complicated. There is a campaign to preserve the traditions of ''nang talung'' for future generations.
The Malaysian wayang kulit gedek has its origin from Nang Talung.
See also
*Hun krabok
*
Nang yai
''Nang yai'' ( th, หนังใหญ่, ) 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.
'' Nang'' means "leather" ("leather puppet" in this cas ...
*
Wayang
, also known as ( jv, ꦮꦪꦁ, translit=wayang), is a traditional form of puppet theatre play originating from the Indonesian island of Java. refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet itself is referred to as . Perfor ...
References
Malaysian culture
Thai culture
Puppetry
Shadow play
Cultural history of Thailand
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