Thai Puppets and Khon Masks [Hardcover]

Natthapatra Chandavij (Author), Promporn Pramualratana (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 19, 2006

Elaborately, gilded masks worn by dancers performing in the popular Ramayana dance drama are an enduring symbol of Thai culture. Since their introduction in the late eighteenth 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 the 17th century Ayutthaya when large, metre-high puppets were used to relate popular folk tales. Today practitioners of this art form are becoming scarce, as are the finely crafted puppets themselves.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 161 pages
• Publisher: River Books Press Dist A C (July 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9748225232
• ISBN-13: 978-9748225234
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 9.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,193,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exotic, Holy, Colorful, Beautiful, and Educational, June 1, 1999

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This review is from: Thai Puppets and Khon Masks (Hardcover)

For travelers who have visited the beautiful exotic destination of Thailand and have viewed Thai dancers or purchased a miniature doll or mask, this book will put a story on your new souvenir that will even make historians envious. For the art history student specializing in Southeast Asian Art, this book will make you want to visit Thailand even more. It may even make a mask collector out of you. Excellent book on without a doubt a rare topic for the West.