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| Khmer shadow theatre ល្ខោនណាំងស្បែក | |
|---|---|
 A figure plate used inNang sbek thom drama | |
| Medium | Shadow play |
| Types | Sbek Thom, Sbek Toch, Sbek Por |
| Originating culture | Khmer |
| Sbek Thom, Khmer shadow theatre | |
|---|---|
| Country | Cambodia |
| Reference | 00108 |
| Region | Asia and the Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2008 (3rd session) |
| List | Representative |
Khmer shadow theatre (Khmer: ល្ខោនណាំងស្បែក;Lakhaon Nang Sbek;IPA:[lkhaonnaŋsbaek]) are forms ofshadow play in which leather shadow puppets are used. The two main genres areSbek Thom, which features theReamker, andSbek Toch, which uses smaller puppets and a wide range of stories. Another genre calledSbek Por uses colored leather puppets. The shadow plays of Cambodia are closely related to and also resemble the shadow plays ofThailand (Nang yai andNang talung),Indonesia(Wayang andWayang kulit). InCambodia, the shadow play is calledNang Sbek Thom, or simply asSbek Thom (literally "large leather hide"),Sbek Touch ("small leather hide") andSbek Por ("colored leather hide").
It is performed during sacred temple ceremonies, at private functions, and for the public in Cambodia's villages. The popular plays include theRamayana andMahabharata epics, as well as other Hindu myth and legends. The performance is accompanied by apinpeat orchestra.
TheSbek Thom is based on the Cambodian version of the Indian epicRamayana, an epic story about good and evil involvingRama,Sita,Lakshmana,Hanuman andRavana. It is a sacred performance, embodying Khmer beliefs built on the foundations and mythologies ofBrahmanism andBuddhism.
Cambodian shadow puppets are made of cow hide, and their size are usually quite large, depicting a whole scene, including its background. Unlike their Javanese counterparts, Cambodian shadow puppets are usually not articulated, rendering the figure's hands unmovable, and are left uncolored, retaining the original color of the leather. The main shadow puppet production center isRoluos near Siem Reap. Cambodian shadow puppetry is one of the cultural performances staged for tourists alongsideCambodian traditional dances.[citation needed]
TheSbek Thom figures are unlike puppets because they are large and heavy, with no moveable parts. TheSbek Touch, in contrast, are much smaller puppets with movable parts; their shows have been more popular. TheSbek Thom shadow play involves many puppeteers dancing on the screen, each puppeteer playing one character of theRamayana, while separate narrators recite the story accompanied by an orchestra.