Zilli masa
previous
next
Zilli Masa are tong cymbals from Turkey and Greece. An early version of the instrument, with only one branch, was known in ancient Israel and Egypt. To sound the cymbals, the zilli masa is held in the right hand and struck against the palm of the left hand. It is usually played only by men in small ensembles accompanving dance and song.
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| None. |
| Material |
| Iron forks, with brass cymbals. |
| Size |
| 15 in (38 cm) long. |
| Origins |
| Tong cymbals were known in ancient Israel and Egypt. The Turkish zilli masa was probably invented in the early 19th century. |
| Classification |
| Idiophone: an instrument that produces its sound through the use of the material from which it is made, without needing strings or a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| "Masa" means "longs" in Turkish, and "zilli" means "with cymbals." The tongs were originally used to pick up hot coals from the fire. |
