【亚洲·柬埔寨】斯贝克托姆--高棉皮影戏 Sbek Thom, Khmer shadow theatre（2008年）

“Sbek Thom（斯贝克托姆）是一个高棉皮影剧院，有两米高的、由皮革镂空制成的无铰接木偶。自吴哥窟时期以前，Sbek Thom与皇家芭蕾舞团和面具剧院一起被认为是神圣的。献身于神灵的表演每年只能在特定场合进行三到四次耳朵，如高棉新年、国王生日或名人崇拜。15世纪吴哥窟陷落后，皮影戏从一种仪式活动演变为一种艺术形式，同时保留了其仪式层面。

木偶是由一块皮革制成的，在一个特殊的仪式上，每个角色都代表着神和神。这些兽皮是用一种由干道树树皮制成的溶液染色的。工匠在晒黑的皮上画出想要的人物，然后把它剪下来涂色，然后把它绑在两根竹竿上，让舞者控制木偶。

表演通常在晚上在稻田或宝塔旁的户外进行。一个大的白色背景被放在两个高高的竹屏风之间，在一个大火炉前，或者现在的投影仪前。木偶轮廓的阴影投射到白色屏幕上。动画师们用精确而具体的舞步将木偶栩栩如生。演出由一个管弦乐队和两名解说员伴奏。这部史诗的舞台场景灵感来源于高棉版本的《罗摩衍那》中的“雷克”，可能会持续数夜，一次演出最多需要160个木偶。其中许多都在红色高棉政权的压迫下被摧毁，而红色高棉政权几乎摧毁了这种神圣的艺术。自1979年以来，由于仅存的几位艺术家，斯贝克·托姆逐渐恢复了活力。到目前为止，已有三家皮影剧院从灰烬中崛起，确保了知识和技能的传播，包括与木偶制作有关的知识和技能。"

2008年度列入人类非物质文化遗产名录。

来源：联合国教科文组织亚太地区非物质文化遗产国际培训中心

The Sbek Thom is a Khmer shadow theatre featuring twometre high, non-articulated puppets made of leather openwork. Dating from before the Angkorian period, the Sbek Thom, along with the Royal Ballet and mask theatre, is considered sacred. Dedicated to the divinities, performances could only take place on specific occasions three or four times a year, such as the Khmer New Year, the King’s birthday or the veneration of famous people. After the fall of Angkor in the fifteenth century, the shadow theatre evolved beyond a ritualistic activity to become an artistic form, while retaining its ceremonial dimension.

The puppets are made from a single piece of leather in a special ceremony for each character representing gods and deities. The hides are dyed with a solution made from the bark of the Kandaol tree. The artisan draws the desired figure on the tanned hide, then cuts it out and paints it before attaching it to two bamboo sticks enabling the dancer to control the puppet.

The performances traditionally take place at night outdoors beside a rice-field or pagoda. A large white backdrop is held between two tall bamboo screens in front of a large fire or, nowadays, projectors. The shadows of the puppet’s silhouettes are projected onto the white screen. The animators bring the puppets to life with precise and specific dance steps. The performance is accompanied by an orchestra and two narrators. Inspired from the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana, the performances stage scenes of this epic, which may last several nights and require up to 160 puppets for a single presentation. Many of them were destroyed under the repressive Khmer Rouge regime, which almost annihilated this sacred art. Since 1979, Sbek Thom has been gradually revitalized thanks to the few surviving artists. So far, three shadow theatres have managed to rise from their ashes, ensuring the transmission of the knowledge and skills, including those relating to puppet making.

Included in the list of human intangible cultural heritage in 2008.

Source: UNESCO International Training Center for intangible cultural heritage in the Asia Pacific Region