Antique Redware Black & Gold 11-Hole Ocarina Made in Austria?
Description: Very interesting and unusual piece of glazed redware. Here is an Ocarina, an ancient flute-like wind instrument. Variations do exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body. This particular Ocarina has 11-holes and the mouth piece does project from the body. The piece is colored in black and the finger holes are numbered and lettered in gold coloring. The piece is also decorated with gold coloring at the two ends. The Ocarina is also stamped with the letter "G" and the number "9" near where the mouth piece meets the body of the instrument. The piece does give a beautiful sound when you blow into the mouth piece opening and you can change the tone by covering various finger opening. Very interesting. There are two ovals on the body of the Ocarina. Both are colored in gold, one has the name of the maker and the words Mad in and a word we believe maybe saying Austria, but we are truly unable to ascertain it. The other oval is blank and looks like two intersecting circles. Please carefully review the photos as they are part and parcel of our description.
Date: Uncertain, possibly early 1900's or earlier.
Origin: Uncertain but most likely somewhere in Europe, possibly Austria.
Size: ~7" long, and ~4" high including the mouth piece. The piece weighs over 10 1/2 ounces.
Maker: Unknown.
Marks: Has what appears to be a makers mark indicating who the maker is and where the piece is made within a gold colored oval. However, we are unable to decipher the words or letters. The piece also has the letter G and the number 9 stamped into it.
Distinguishing Characteristics - Most Interesting About The Piece: This is a very nice and unusual piece of redware with beautiful coloring and details.
Condition: The piece is in very good condition with no cracks, repairs, or hairlines. It does have some losses of the coloring both the black and gold, which can be seen in the photos. It also has some chips at the extremes, so it has a chip at the edge of the mouth piece, a chip at the ends where it is colored in gold and also some chips around the finger holes. All these chips are rather small and do not distract from the beauty or quality of the piece. They all can be seen in the photos and all in all the piece is in great condition being over a hundred years old. Please see photos for additional condition information.
