Nang yai

Nang yai (Thai: หนังใหญ่, pronounced [nǎŋ jàj]) is a form of shadow play found in Thailand.

[3][4][5] According to James Brandon, most scholars believe that nang yai came to Thailand via Java and the Malay Peninsula from India.

Nang yai performances were a popular means of entertainment during the Ayudhaya period and are mentioned in a poem called "Bunnovat Khamchan", written by the Buddhist monk Mahanag sometime around the years 1751 to 1758, at the end of King Boromakot's reign.

During the show, a Thai instrumental ensemble (usually a piphat) plays music appropriate to each episode, synchronized with the puppets' action.

Nang yai influenced that khon, a dance-drama art form from Thailand which involves masked pantomime.