Ocarina; Nariño Culture, Colombia, A.D. 800-1500.

Ocarina; Nariño Culture, Colombia, 800-1500 AD.
Painted terracotta
Measurements: 10 x 7 cm.
Ocarina in the form of a conch shell, richly polychromed and decorated with geometric motifs, which combines sound function and symbolic expression in a piece of great visual strength. This type of object is part of the production of the Nariño culture, developed approximately since the eighth century in the southwestern Andean region.
The Nariño culture was a dynamic society of merchants, farmers and shepherds, deeply connected with their environment and with a remarkable artistic sensibility. Its material production is especially notable for its terracotta sculptures, which represent characters such as cowboys, women and warriors with characteristic winged hats. These figures are distinguished by a marked solemnity: rigid postures, frontal stares and a hieratic attitude that conveys a sense of permanence and immutability.