Ocarina in the Form of an Armadillo's Head, 800 CE - 1200 CE
Terracotta
2.125 x 1.625 x 4
PF.4139
Further images
Ocarinas come in a variety of sizes, producing tones ranging from that of a tenor recorder to that of a shrill whistle. The mouthpiece and the size of the resonance...
Ocarinas come in a variety of sizes, producing tones ranging from that of a tenor recorder to that of a shrill whistle. The mouthpiece and the size of the resonance chamber are modified to produce different tones. Ocarinas are the musical instruments of the New World and are found in high-status tombs. This suggest use in a ritual context. Behind most developed prehistoric subsistence systems is a mythological framework. The mythological framework is the knowledge and perpetuation of explanations concerning the origins of their political and religious system and defines their rituals that formalize seasonal and other cyclical necessary procedures. The armadillo may represent a symbolically important animal to the Ancient Costa Ricans. The armadillo may be identified with an important function and purpose in the Costa Ricans' mythological framework. This special ocarina continues to carry on its importance and charm from ancient hands to the present.