Pre-Columbian, Caribbean/Florida, Arawak People, Taino, ca. 15th century CE. A very rare ceramic ocarina, still playable, and in the form of an anthropomorphic head, square at the top, with a mouthpiece emerging like a crown. The face is decorated with incised lines in a geometric pattern of linear bands and steps, perhaps representing a real practice of tattooing or scarification. A ring with a small perforation near its base is below the face, forming a handle and a place for the musical note to emerge from! Size: 2.3" W x 3.1" H (5.8 cm x 7.9 cm); 4" H (10.2 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Denver, Colorado, USA collection; ex Sidney Newman collection, Beverly Hills, California, USA, actively collected in 1960s to 1970s

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#130917

Intact and playable, with excellent preserved details and light deposits. Playable!