4198 by Meso & Central American Sound Library Project

This exceptionally well-preserved clay effigy globular flute (ocarina) from the Central Valley Region (Central Pacific Zone, Costa Rica) features a human head (hypothetically, a severed male trophy head). This aerophone presents the Chitaría Incised ceramic type featuring the typical triangle designs following thin lines incised in a marvelous deep chocolate-colored slip with reddish-brown hues. This wind instrument dates to the Curridabat A (A.D. 400-700) or, more likely, Curridabat B (A.D. 700-1000) Phase. Unless unprovenienced, we assume that sonic artifact #4198 has been retrieved/looted in an area located between the cantons of Pococí (province of Limón), Turrialba, Cachí, and La Unión (province of Cartago).

The apical tubular upstream airduct was affixed to a clay protuberance, which we have termed a "constriction appendage" (please click the track info button for an X-ray image of the mouthpiece section). This organological feature is characteristic of the Costa Rican Central Region (Atlantic Watershed & Central Valley). It offers various advantages in terms of assembly and aeroacoustic properties.

This aerophone is kept in Brussels's Musical Instruments Museum storerooms. The MIM purchased it from Galerie Émile Deletaille.

Overall dimensions (depth x width x height): 7.7 x 6.1 x 7.5 (cm).

Tracklist

1.	Curridabat (A/B) Phase (A.D. 400-1000) clay effigy flute (ocarina) with a pear-shaped resonator drilled with four finger holes from the Central Valley Region (Costa Rica) - solo improvisation w/ field recording & clay whistle	1:54

Credits

released October 7, 2024

Sonic artifact experimentally played & recorded by J-F Brohée using a pair of Neumann KM183 & a Universal Audio 710 Twin-Finity preamplifier. © KMKG-MRAH. Field captures were recorded in San Ignacio town (Cayo District, Belize) and the vicinity of the volcano Arenal (Alajuela Province, Costa Rica) during early summer 2017.

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