Nang yai is an intriguing form of Siamese drama, a shadow play with puppets, which, unfortunately, I have never seen performed — in fact, never been to Thailand, alas, or anywhere else in that part of the world.
The "puppets" are large, almost three-quarters life-size, made of painted buffalo hide. A story, drawn from the Ramayana, is told by means of songs, chants, music, and dance. "Nang Yai" simply means "large puppet." People who have studied Nang Yai have traced performances back to the 1400s. Nang Yai dramas would be performed before a large white cotton screen illuminated from behind by fire — the puppets supported by bamboo poles.
The puppets themselves, one of which is illustrated above, are magnificent works of art. From what I can learn, the tradition of making Nang Yai puppets was almost extinct but has now been revived. Nowadays, and I imagine in the past, the hide of a young ox is bleached and cleaned to get rid of hairs and tissue. Then it is soaked in the juice of the lamphong tree, whatever the heck that is, and also in a tincture of lemon grass, pineapple, and orange, and finally darkened by rubbing with burnt coconut husk. The hide is carved with chisels, hammers, knives, and then painted. Here's a picture of a particularly complicated puppet.
Here's a picture of a Nang Yai museum in Thailand. It's on my list of places to visit.
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