Gallery: Inside a traditional khon mask studio

In Bangkok, performances of the Thai masked dance "khon" continue to attract huge audiences. Some troupes even infuse the classic tale, based on Thailand's national epic the Ramakien, with doses of modernity to appeal to a new generation.

All the dancers wear masks to represent their characters, forcing the performers to use dramatic gestures and maneuvers to convey meaning and emotion.

More on CNNGo: A gallery of Thailand's famed masked dancers

Yet ironically, like many of the world's traditional art forms, the art of making khon masks is vanishing, despite the continued success of the performances. Young people are not prepared to spend the long years it takes to learn how to make masks.

Getty Images photographer Paula Bronstein traveled to the Thai province of Angthong to snap these fantastic pictures of Prateep Rodpai, one of Thailand's last traditional khon mask makers, at work in his outdoor studio.