**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, Protoclassic period, ca. 100 BCE to 250 CE. An intriguing hand-built redware ocarina with the depiction of a solemn shaman figure. A highly burnished red-slip finish covers the tiered shell-like shape of the flute. One end of the instrument is pointed with a slightly softened end. While the other end has been decorated in a minimalist manner with the head of a shaman. The shaman’s visage is squared off, with a pair of dotted eyes, a slit-form mouth, and a slightly shafted nose. Size: 6" L x 3.4" W (15.2 cm x 8.6 cm)

The ocarina or “globe flute” is an ancient instrument with an interesting history. Once dismissed as toys or trinkets by archeologists, ocarinas have come to be revered as sacred instruments of the Mayan, Incan, and Aztec cultures of Central and South America. Scholars suggest that many ancient cultures used sound as a form of treatment for healing health issues; using sound as a medium to positively influence the mind and the spirit. These instruments were also used to invoke different deities and were commonplace in ceremonial contexts.

Provenance: ex Stein collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA, acquired Februrary 3, 2009; ex Arte Xibalba, Osprey, Florida, USA; ex Lopez Family collection, Miami, Florida, USA

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#164294

Original lustrous condition with varying red-orange hues. Surface wear commensurate with use and age. Dark earthen deposits in areas. Otherwise, excellent condition and fully intact.