1986.011-02 by Meso & Central American Sound Library Project

This ocarina, dating from the "El Bosque" phase, has an ovoid resonator drilled with four finger holes. It features a high social status figure (wearing an imponent hat) whose lower limbs appear to be inserted into the resonator, suggesting that he may be sitting in a craft or sedan chair (litter). The sonic artifact's distal appendage is equipped with a suspension hole. Details of the figurine were modeled using the 'al pastillaje' appliqué technique (nose, arms, straight locks). It should be noted that wearing long hair was not a criterion of femininity (see the numerous male warriors sculpted in andesite from the Central Region [Benson 1981: 217, Fig. 224; Young-Sánchez 2010: 78-79).

1986.01-02 was manufactured in the Atlantic Watershed archaeological region (Línea Vieja) of Central Costa Rica during the late El Bosque A (AD 100-300) or early El Bosque B (AD 300-500) phase and probably looted/retrieved there.

This sonic artifact is currently held in Brussels's Musical Instruments Museum storerooms. The MIM purchased it from Galerie Émile Deletaille in 1986.

Overall dimensions (depth x width x height): 10.71 x 6.90 x 11.37 (cm).

The MCASL Project aims to share, visually and sonically, a sample of the large pre-Columbian era sound-producing artifacts collection from Mesoamerica and Central America housed at the Royal Museums of Art and History (KMKG-MRAH), Brussels. The development of this audio/data library is part of Jean-François Brohée's doctoral research, funded by a FRESH grant of the F.R.S.-FNRS.