Ceramic ocarina sculpted in the shape of a turtle, with hand incised plates on the shell and dark glaze.
The ocarina is played by blowing down the whistle mouthpiece. Two different notes can be played by covering and uncovering the hole on the top. This ocarina was made to be sold as a children's toy or a tourist souvenir. While ocarinas today are popular instruments for children, they have history in China and in ancient South American cultures such as Mayan and Aztec.
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk
