The UNESCO added Khon, a masked dance drama in Thailand, to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018. Khon is a performing art that combines musical, vocal, literary, dance, ritual and handicraft elements.
Based on characters in the “Ramakien” epic, Khon masks are classified into deity, demon and monkey, and are made to be worn during Khon dance drama. There are also some masks crafted for venerable characters like “Ngoa”, “Rishi”, “Phra Pirap” (demon deity) and “Phra Pikanet” (Hindu god “Ganesha”) – all of these masks have been used in holy rituals to pay homage to art masters.
