Published Okarina of the Cuasmál Culture

Culture: Cuasmál Culture/Southern Colombia to northern Ecuador

Period: 1100-1500 A.D.

Material: Terracotta

Dimensions: 10.3 cm long

Price: Reserved

Ref: 11121

Provenance: Austrian private collection Prof. Josef Mairitsch (1938-1994) with the inventory number M 155. Acquired between 1960 and the early 1980s. Thence in the family estate. With a copy of the collection note and the catalogue page.

Condition: Intact and playable.

Description: Fist-size vessel flute in snail shape of the Cuasmál culture, which was native to the mountainous regions of Nariño and Carchi in southern Colombia and northern Ecuador, often over 3,000 meters high. The large mouthpiece for creating the tones is at the undecorated bottom. The finger holes to vary the tones are at the ends of the okarina. The decoration in the dark brown colour on ochre-coloured base is typical for the Cuasmál culture. The motives depict alternatingly dots and triangles in squares of almost the same size. Today still playable. See for the type of snail shape okarinas the example in the Metropolitan Museum in New York with the object number 1980.34.37. The present okarina is published in: Josef Mairitsch “Columbus am Wörthersee. Amerika vor Columbus.” Catalogue for the special exhibition of the cultural department of the state capital Klagenfurt from 1 June to 31 October 1992, p. 99.