Lot 188, Auction 3/19/2026: Three Maya Ocarinas – Figure, Xipe Totec, & Turtle

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Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerica, Maya culture, ca. 600 to 900 CE. A lively group of three Maya pottery ocarinas, each modeled in sculptural form and once capable of producing resonant tones in ritual or ceremonial settings. These hollow clay instruments combine sound and image, embodying the Maya understanding of music as both artistic and spiritual expression. One example depicts a seated figure with compact body and rounded features, the mouth opening serving as the whistle aperture. Another portrays a standing male with incised facial lines that may suggest flayed skin, raising the possibility that he represents Xipe Totec, the flayed god associated with renewal and agricultural rebirth, though such identification remains interpretive. The third takes the form of a turtle, its domed shell carefully detailed, an animal linked in Maya cosmology to the earth and to mythic origins. Size of largest (seated figure): 3.5″ W x 4.3″ H (8.9 cm x 10.9 cm)

Each ocarina is hand formed in terracotta with visible modeling marks and vent holes, reflecting their dual function as instruments and symbolic objects. Together, the trio offers a compelling glimpse into the sonic and spiritual landscape of the ancient Maya world.

Condition: All have weathering to surfaces with nicks and abrasions as shown. Otherwise, all are intact and still function as instruments with nice presentations.

Provenance: private Rogers, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-Bosio collection, Miami, Florida, USA, 1960-2000

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all purchases.

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