Te na sai – Karen Zither (Wood)

Within the many subgroups in the Karen diaspora lies a wealth of plucked instruments—zithers and harps, generally known as te na—which showcase varied materials, forms, and practices that produce a surprising range of tone colors. Perhaps the most majestic of these is the te na sai, a plucked zither, carved and hollowed from a large, thick block of hardwood, such as teak, into a barrel-shaped resonator, a third of which is covered by a wooden plank. Interestingly, Karen te na sai take on the aspect of a muntjac deer, with a head, tail, body, feet, and even the color of its coat.

Four metal strings stretch horizontally from anchoring pins at the instrument’s ‘tail,’ across three bridges atop the wooden cover, and above the open sound box.  The strings then loop over a wood cylinder at the ‘head,’ each finally winding around the shaft of one of four tuning pegs in the pegbox, the ‘body.’  The grips of the tuning pegs line one side of the te na sai.

Raised on four wood-block ‘feet,’ the te na sai is dramatically adorned on the headstock with a pair of muntjac, or barking deer, antlers, a totem the Karen believe brings good luck, as the jungles of Southeast Asia once teemed with these striking animals. The ‘body’ of the instrument may be decorated with imagery from nature—flowers, plants, and notably elephants, a sign of respect for the giant beasts so vital to the Karen way of life.

Note: Japho, the Karen owner of this remarkable wood zither, was born in 1929 in Myanmar, where he and his father worked as mahouts, caring for their elephants.  Years later, the family moved to Tak Province, Thailand, near Myanmar’s Karen State, living well past his eighty-third year.

This massive te na sai, dating back to the turn of the 20th century, belonged to the father of Japho, who carved it when he was a young man as a tribute to his love of music. When Japho’s father was killed by a Burmese soldier at age forty-seven, the instrument was passed down to Japho, who, like his father played the zither to accompany his singing as he courted his wife.

The te na sai, based on a pentatonic scale, is primarily played as an accompaniment to Karen songs, which are known for their lyrical melodies within that five-tone scale. There is no fixed tuning; rather, the zither is fine-tuned to conform to the vocal range of the singer.

Karen men play the te na sai during rites of passage and festivals to accompany songs relating Karen culture and identity, to woo a mate, and to join with other instruments in ensembles.

Ethnic Group: S’gaw Karen

Local Name: Te na sai

Type: Plucked Zither

Class: Plucked Chordophone

Tuning: Pentatonic scale

Age: Circa 1900

Materials: Teak wood, muntjak (barking deer) antlers, metal

Dimensions: 60 x 30 x 20 c / 23.5” x 11.75” x 8”

Location: Myanmar

Owner / Instrument Maker: Father of Japho, Karen mahout

Catalog Number: 6357