Khon Masks

The elaborately fasioned and gilded masks worn by dancers performing in the popular Ramayana dance are one of the enduring symbols of Thai culture. Since their introduction at the beginning of the Rattanakosin period in the late-18th century, many hundreds of thousands of masks have been produced by skilled craftsmen. Less well known as an art form, the history of Thai puppetry dates back as early as the 11th century, when inscriptions from the north and central Thailand mention their role as an offering to the gods. This volume unites the puppets and masks from various collections and seeks to make this unique facet of Thai culture more widely known.

Presents instructions for creating masks based on styles from traditional cultures using common craft materials.

Theatre Masks Out Side In examines masks from different angles and perspectives, combining the history, design, construction, and use of masks into one beautifully illustrated resource. Each chapter includes key information about an element of mask study: history and uses, theatre traditions, practical principles for directing, performing exercises, design considerations, mask-making techniques, and considering makeup as mask. Artist interviews, theatre company profiles, and hundreds of images provide insight into the variety of mask styles and performance applications. Project suggestions, discussion questions, useful worksheets, creative prompts, and resources for sourcing masks are included to inspire further exploration. Theatre Masks Out Side In is designed with the beginning theatre maker in mind, as well as prop makers, costume designers and technicians, and actors learning to use masks in performance.

The elaborately fashioned and gilded masks worn by dancers performing in the popular Ramayana dance drama are one of the enduring symbols of Thai culture. Since their introduction at the beginning of the Rattanakosin period in the late 18th century, many hundreds of thousands of masks have been produced by skilled craftsmen. Less well-known as an art form, the history of Thai puppetry dates back to as early as the 11th century, with mention being made in inscriptions from north and central Thailand regarding their role as an offering to the gods. During the reign of King Narai of Ayutthaya in the 17th century, large, metre-high puppets known as Hun Luang were used to relate popular folk tales for the enjoyment of the court and the general public. However, the greatest evidence for the popularity of Thai puppets comes from the Bangkok period (1782 to the present), when a puppet performance would form part of many ceremonies from funerals to Buddhist holy days. Today, practitioners of these art forms are becoming scarce and the finely crafted puppets in particular are hard to find. This book unites for the first time puppets and masks from some of the finest collections, and will help to make a unique facet of Thai culture more widely known. 250 colour illustrations

This is the first bibliography in its field, based on first-hand collations of the actual articles. International in scope, it includes publications found in public theatre libraries and archives of Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Florence, London, Milan, New York and Paris amongst others. Over 3500 detailed entries on separately published sources such as books, sales and exhibition catalogues and pamphlets provide an indispensible guide for theatre students, practitioners and historians. Indices cover designers, productions, actors and performers. The iconography provides an indexed record of over 6000 printed plates of performers in role, illustrating performance costume from the 18th to 20th century.