Chua – Karen Hand and Finger Cymbals

Cast in bronze or brass, the Karen hand and finger cymbals, chua, are composed of a matching pair of slightly concave round plates that, when struck together, create a shimmery metallic reverberation that emits a series of high-frequency overtones. It is for this reason that Karen cymbals and gongs are primarily performed in outdoor settings, as they are able to carry long distances, calling deities, spirits, and ancestors in the supernatural world to attend ceremonial events.

The Karen perform on a range of sizes of chua. Large cymbals can be either held horizontally in both hands and crashed vertically, or held vertically and clashed horizontally. Small finger cymbals are played in one or both hands.  Both cymbals are forged with a central boss, or bell, a feature that determines the cymbals’ pitch, tonal quality, and volume.

The pulse of Karen percussion instruments—chua cymbals, mong gongs, and der drums—are most often heard with the calls of the kwae horn during jubilant occasions that welcome guests, mark seasonal festivals, and celebrate the union of a young couple. Weddings provide two or three days of non-stop music, launched as soon as the groom and his attendants arrive in the bride’s village. The entourage literally sings, dances, plays instruments, and toasts the groom all along the path to the bride’s home.

Ethnic Group: Karen

Local Name: Chua

Type: Hand and Finger Cymbals

Class: Concussion Idiophone

Tuning:

Age: Early 20th c.

Materials: Bronze, cotton

Dimensions:
Hand cymbals: 1.5 x 13 dia. cm / 0.6″ x 5″ dia.
Finger cymbals: 1 cm x 5 dia. / 0.4″ x 2″ dia.

Location:
Chomthong
Lamphun, Thailand

Owner / Instrument Maker:

Catalog Number: 6542