Description

Contrabass ocarina – MIGNANI, Arrigo

This contrabass ocarina was made by Arrigo MIGNANI (1918-1997) – a native of Budrio, the birthplace of the ocarina, where it all began. He was originally a stonemason, making tombstones and caskets like his father. Mignani started making ocarinas following his acquisition of the equipment of the famous maker Emilio CESARI (1888-1962). He made ocarinas from 1964 to 1965 and the business closed in 1992. During his peak production, he made around 10,000-12,000 ocarinas per year.  Mignani was also a member of the Gruppo Ocarinistico for some years.

Crafted in terracotta, this Do 7, pitch C3 ocarina is in excellent condition with no cracks or flaws. Arrigo Mignani built his sixth and seventh ocarinas entirely by hand rather than using a mould. It is marked with the possible serial number 246 on the voicing. It is in C and weighs an impressive 1.8 kilos!