Souvenir Chilean Mapuche Ocarina-Puerto Varas

Memorylanevintiques picked this item from a couple who actually purchased this pottery art piece while on vacation in 1973. It is called an Ocarina which is a wind instrument or vessel flute that has been around for thousands of years amongst pre-Columbian indigenous tribes. Although this is NOT a pre-Columbian, it was made by the Mapuche (Huilliche) indigenous people of Chile. The Mapuche to this day make several different indigenous artifacts for commerce and tourism. In Chile, the Mapuche tribe are well known for their complex and visionary art designs of their textiles as well as their pottery. The patterns of the Chilean tribes are similar to the Native American-Pueblo colored beads or Mexico's Talavera pottery, all of which is considered "Indian" folk art.
These ocarinas and other items are sold in various street markets (feria libres) across the Los Lagos Region.
This ocarina is known as a pendant ocarina. It is traditionally better known in the Peruvian culture when the Aztecs and Mayans created ocarinas to be shaped like an animal or a native symbol. Even pre-Columbian ocarinas were known to made of volcanic ash mixed with various clays. But in Chile, the Mapuche used more reddish-brown clays for souvenir designs.
The Mapuche are very spiritual, and each color represents a symbol in the Mapuche culture.
• Yellow (chod or choz): Represents renewal and the sun.
• Blue (kallfü): Symbolizes life, order, wealth, and the universe, also representing the sacred or spiritual.
• White (lüq): Represents cleansing, healing, longevity, wisdom, and prosperity.
• Red (kelü): Signifies strength, power, and history, as well as symbolizing the blood spilled in conflicts between the Mapuche people and the Spanish and Chilean governments.
• Green (karü): Represents the earth, nature, wisdom, fertility, and healing power, and is a symbol of the machi (Mapuche shaman).
Even the patterns of their hand-painted ocarinas are triangular which is inspired by the regions Andes Mountains.
Now the ocarinas are very popular in Chile. The flute has 8-9 holes and is taught to Chileans at different stages of childhood. Kind of like the “American Recorder” flute with elementary schools. Chilean and other South American cultures would play the pendant ocarinas at festivals, rituals and even to serenade children to sleep. The pendant ocarina is made with a loop on the bottom (unpainted side) to attach a necklace to wear.
Italy and Germany also have a rich history making several toy ocarinas as far back as the late 1800’s.
In 1964, a 23-year-old British music student (drop-out) invented a 4-hole designed
ocarina out of ceramics. His name is John Taylorand he also developed a fingering system that can achieve a range between an octave and octave plus a fourth as well as an octave plus a sixth.
Mr. Taylor is credited with creating this now infamous “English Fingering System” widely known throughout the wind instrument community. Taylor’s 4-hole ceramic ocarina design was called the English Pendant and was synonymous with the “hippee” movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s for unknown reasons. (only Mary Jane knows)
The English Pendant ocarina became a retro favorite in 1998 for gamers all around the globe when Nintendo released a 3D graphics game called the Legend of Zelda- Ocarina of Time.
There are instructional books on how to play a Chilean Pendant Ocarina and for fun check out David Liggins.
David Liggins explored South America and Mexico and became inspired to learn the ocarina. Liggins used the ocarina as a sing along tool for his music teachings with children.
David became an ocarina instructor and is considered one of the most famous vessel flutists. He has also mastered several other chromatic instruments.

THE SOUVENIR CHILEAN OCARINA hand-made by Mapuche potters
Weighs 2.1 ounces
Measures 4.25” X 3.25” X 1.5” approximately
Great Condition
Made of clay in and very sturdy
Purchased in Puerto Varas by original owner and our shop is the second owner.

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