Ocarina

The ocarina, sometimes called the sweet potato, is a wind instrument. It is made up of an (usually) oval-shaped, enclosed space and four to thirteen finger holes. A mouth tube projects from it, often from the side. One sound hole exists, most often on the underside of the instrument's body. They are most often made of earthenware or ceramic, but many other materials may also be used, including plastic, wood, glass, and metal.

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The ocarina is a very old family of instruments, believed to date back some 12,000 years. Ocarina-type instuments have been of particular importance in Chinese and Mesoamerican cultures (where they are often shaped as animals, many times birds).

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Its common use in the Western countries dates to the 19th century, when the modern form of the ocarina was invented by Italian Giuseppe Donati. The name is derived from Italian (ocarina 'little goose'). An earlier form was known in Europe, made from animal horn, and known as a gemshorn.

Wind instrument: A wind instrument is a member of a family of musical instruments. Wind instruments consist of a tube containing a column of air which is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set into the end of the tube....

Earthenware: Earthenware is a ceramic made from potash, sand, feldspar and clay. It is one of the oldest materials used in pottery. Classically, most earthenware has a red coloring, due to the use of red clays. However, this is not always the case, and for the modern potter, white and buff colored earthenware ...

Ceramic: A ceramic is an inorganic, non-metallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous (e.g., a glass). Because most common ceramics are crystalline, the definition of ceramic is often restric...

Ocarina related Images and Photos (experimental)

Zelda Ocarina

Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Link Water Tunic Statue

Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Adult Link Fire Tunic Statue