Cambodia · Prop Making / Theatrical Craft / Decorative Craft
ស្លឹករំភេប (Sloeuk Rompheap — ritual fan)
The props used in Khmer Royal Court Dance (Robam Preah Reach Trop) include ceremonial fans (sloeuk rompheap), floral garlands (phka), and ritual objects held by specific character types — all made by specialist prop makers who serve the Royal University of Fine Arts. The sloeuk rompheap (sacred fan) is the most technically demanding: it is constructed from gilded wood panels with scalloped edges cut in the Khmer kal motif (same as lacquerware — CRAFT-0510), assembled on a pivot that allows the fan to open and close during performance in specific choreographed moments. The fan's pivot must operate silently — any sound from the pivot during performance is unacceptable — requiring a specific bamboo pivot pin that compresses slightly under finger pressure, eliminating the micro-gap that produces creaking.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Within Khmer Classical Dance UNESCO inscription (2008/2016)
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