Kazakhstan
Kazakh people

Woods, nylon, mother-of-pearl 
Mid 20th century
Length: 38 in, Width: 9 in, Depth: 4.75 in
Chordophones – Lutes

The dombra (dombyra / dombira / dombora), unlike the dutar is made of staves and has a flat peghead slightly slanted backwards.  It is often called dongbula in West China. The resonator body of this dombra is made from seven ribs, glued together. The top of the resonator consists of a spruce sounding board with decorative wood veneer trimming at the bottom, top and around the small round sounding hole.   This wood trimming can also be found on the top peghead.

The neck is separate and flush with the front. It has a flat tuning head and two lateral pegs inserted from the back. There are 18 nylon frets. The two nylon strings go over a small wooden bridge on the sounding board and are attached to a pin at the bottom of the resonator body.

The dombra, mainly used to accompany singing, is played by strumming with the fingers of the right hand. The left hand fingers, maneuver and touch the first string, while the thumb is used to play the second (bottom) string.

Resource: ATLAS of Plucked Instruments – Central Asia