Shadow puppet of a horse (Sbek Poa)

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Object Details

Label

Called Sbek Poa or Sbek Por (Sbek: leather; Poa/Por: color), Cambodian shadow puppets are rare and their original performance contexts are not well known. Shadow puppet performance traditions are much more prominent in Indonesia, where they have been used in contexts ranging from village to court settings.

This puppet represents a horse.

Provenance

From at least 1983-1989

Joyce and Kenneth X. Robbins, method of acquisition unknown [1]

From 1989

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Joyce and Kenneth X. Robbins [2]

Notes:

[1] Known to have been in the collection of Kenneth X. Robbins in 1983. See Kenneth X. Robbins, “Indo-Asian Shadow Figures” in “Arts of Asia,” vol. 13, no. 5 (September-October 1983), p. 73 (illustrated). In the article, the object is published with the caption “Collection: Kenneth X. Robbins.” See also offer letter from Kenneth X. Robbins to Milo Beach on “Kenneth X. Robbins, M. D., LTD.” letterhead, dated December 4, 1989, copy in object file.

Dr. Kenneth X. Robbins, psychiatrist, M.D., and Joyce Robbins of Potomac, Maryland are collectors of South Asian art and objects related to the history of Africans in the greater Indian Ocean world and the Jewish diaspora in India and beyond. Dr. Robbins has also authored several books, articles, and lectures. Works from their collection may also be found at The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, DC and the Brooklyn Museum, NY.

[2] See Deed of Gift to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, dated December 21, 1989, original in object file.

Research Completed October 26, 2022

Collection

National Museum of Asian Art Collection

Previous custodian or owner

Dr. Kenneth X. Robbins (born 1943)

Joyce Robbins (born 1944)

Credit Line

Gift of Joyce and Kenneth X. Robbins

Date

19th century

Accession Number

S1989.18

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Toy and Entertainment

Medium

Animal skin

Dimensions

H x W: 87.3 x 82 cm (34 3/8 x 32 5/16 in)

Origin

Cambodia

Related Online Resources

Google Arts & Culture

NMAA Southeast Asia

See more items in

National Museum of Asian Art

Data Source

National Museum of Asian Art

Topic

skin

horse

puppetry