Exceptional set of four antique traditional Nang Talung (หนังตะลุง) puppets, a shadow theater characteristic of southern Thailand.
These four characters are made using the traditional Nang Talung technique: cut-out, perforated, and painted silhouettes, mounted on long sticks for manipulation behind the illuminated shadow theater screen.
The set brings together four figures representative of different realms of traditional Thai theater: a Lersi, Hanuman, a Yak, and Ai Theng.
The Lersi represents the figure of the sage and hermit, deeply associated with spiritual knowledge, traditional arts, and the transmission of teachings.
Hanuman, the famous general of the monkey people from the Thai Ramakien, embodies strength, courage, loyalty, and intelligence.
The Yak, a character from the Thai mythological world, belongs to the universe of powerful supernatural creatures that populate traditional tales and the Ramakien.
The fourth silhouette represents Ai Theng, one of the great traditional comedic characters of Nang Talung. His lean body, dark skin, very prominent nose, and intentionally caricatured features correspond to the iconography of this popular character from southern Thai shadow theater.
These comedic characters occupy a special place in Nang Talung. Inspired by the people and daily life, they bring humor and satire amidst heroes, sages, and mythological creatures.
The four puppets show signs of age, use, small repairs, and losses visible in the photographs. These marks have been preserved as they are and bear witness to the history of these antique pieces.
Brought together as a single set, these four silhouettes remarkably illustrate the richness of Nang Talung: the spiritual world with the Lersi, the epic with Hanuman and the Yak, and the popular, burlesque tradition with Ai Theng.
Specifications:
- 📐 Dimensions: each puppet measures approximately 20 cm in height
- ⚓ Weight:
- Reliquary: New custom-made stainless steel reliquary decorated with traditional patterns.
🎭 Four silhouettes from the world of shadows, where sages meet heroes, Yaks rub shoulders with divine monkeys, and the laughter of men answers the tales of the gods. When light passes through their forms, an entire ancient theater of southern Thailand seems to come back to life.