Thai Shadow Puppet | Brzezinski Portfolio

Treatment of Thai Nang Yai Shadow Puppet

Object: Nang Yai Shadow puppet

Acc.#: 1991.756A-E

Date: Late 19th-early 20th century

Dimensions: 64 1/4in x 68in x 1/8in

Materials: Leather/rawhide, pigment, bamboo

Collection: Denver Art Museum

Culture of Origin: Thailand

Treated in 2021 for permanent display in the Asian Art Gallery, in the newly renovated Martin Building at the Denver Art Museum

View Report

Before Treatment

Context

Nang Yai is a shadow puppet performance from Thailand. Puppets are created from a single piece of buffalo hide, and performers dance while holding the puppet on two bamboo poles. Nang Yai typically depicts well-known scenes from the Ramakien epic (known as the Ramayana in India). Nang Yai performances are outside, backed by a large white sheet and lit by a bonfire, and accompanied by music.

The Denver Art Museum puppet is elaborately painted, indicated it would have been used during a day time performance. It depicts a key moment in the Ramakien, when the hero Rama triumphs over the demon King Ravana.

Click images for details

Condition

Heavy deformations to the leather overall
Leather moderately brittle overall
Scattered breaks, especially in deformed areas
Separated section on Rama's shoulder
Large losses to the leather
Evidence of grazing and prior insect activity, no longer active
Evidence of water damage
Heavy wear to the pigments and loss of binder
Scattered abrasions
Surface dust overall
Bamboo poles retained with the object, in good condition

Click images for details

Treatment Overview

Surface cleaning of friable pigment
Large-scale humidification and reshaping
Repairs to leather breaks using goldbeater's skin with heat-reactivated adhesive to both sides
Toning repairs and abrasions
Mounting puppet vertically for exhibition, including significant collaboration with the textiles department
- Creating a template for the final mount
- Sewing puppet to mount
In-situ photography in normal and raking light