한국국제교류재단

IN CURATION

Performing Childhood Nostalgia:
Sbek Thom, Cambodia's Traditional Shadow Theatre

To this day, I still cherish the memories of puppet shows I saw with my parents when I was little. Cambodian people also experience such nostalgia when they reminisce about having watched shadow theater performances, called Sbek Thom, which originated in ancient times.

Lessons About the Value of Life

Sbek Thom is performed at night in paddy fields, around the tower of a Buddhist temple, or in the yard. A white cloth screen is installed between two bamboo poles, and coconut shells are burned behind it to illuminate the stage. The show begins when the shadow of a puppet is reflected on the screen. The puppets, made of 2m-long bamboosticks, cotton, thread, and leather, almost resemble traditional Korean puppets.

In the past, Sbek Thom was performed only three to four times a year to celebrate the birthdays of the royals and nobles or honor celebrities. An art form requiring a lot of time and dedication, this traditional Khmer show, dating back to the Angkorian period(802-1431),is well-known worldwide. In 2005, it was designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The puppets used in the performance are made of a single sheet of cowhide. Though animal skins are used for them, it does not necessarily violate animal protection laws. The cowhide used in Sbek Thom performances only comes from cows that died naturally and were not killed for this purpose. The masters who make leather puppets consider the material sacred and pay respects accordingly. While producing puppets, they wear only white clothes and never drink alcohol. The people behind Sbek Thom truly understand how to appreciate animals. Although the number of Sbek Thom shows had to be significantly reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the beautiful tradition of these performances, created by people's sweat and devotion, lives on.

There is a shadow theater similar to Sbek Thom in Korea called Manseokjung Nori, a form of shadow show that started in the Goryeo period(918-1392). Anyone could watch and enjoy these performances, held at Buddhist temples or people's homes, which celebrated the birth of the Buddha. It was apuppet show performed in mime without dialogue, narration, or songs, which entertained people of all classes, including those who were illiterate.

Both Sbek Thom and Manseokjung Nori are precious cultural heritages. It is our duty to preserve such assets intact and pass them on to our descendants.