Mexico
Veracruz Culture

Pottery
ca. 3rd to 7th century CE.
Height: 4.25 in; Width: 3.7 in
Aerophones – Wind Instruments Proper – Edge Blown Flutes

A Pre-Columbian ocarina from the Gulf Coast of Mexico, Veracruz (Vera Cruz) culture, ca. 3rd to 7th century CE.   This mold-formed pottery ocarina is in the form of an abstract jaguar, with a broad, fanged smile, huge ears, and a petite mouthpiece atop the head. White pigment adorns this ocarina and creates a smooth surface.

An ocarina is an aerophone belonging to the flute family and within that classification it is a kind of ‘duct’ flute.  It is played by blowing air into a small duct (tube-like opening) which directs/channels the air to a sharp edge cut in the tube or neck of the vessel.  A characteristic of the ocarina in an agricultural society such as the Veracruz culture, is the use of clay for these instruments that were molded from a single material into either zoomorphic (animal forms), as seen here in the shape of a jaguar, and anthropomorphic (human form).  Important to note, is that in most all of the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, the jaguar was revered in some way. 

The role of the ocarina has not been fully explored or documented in Mesoamerica; however, the Spanish colonists have noted the use of special shrines for musical wind instruments and the playing of ocarina-like whistles and flute were used to announce ritual dancing and chanting.