Free Vintage C. Vicinelli Ocarina--Met Has One, Too

In researching this ocarina, I see the Metropolitan Museum of Art has one (or more?) in their collection, by the same maker.

I bought this at the estate sale of a local Italian family that apparently traveled to Italy regularly. I thought I might sell it on eBay, when I was selling on eBay, but I *think* I read you cannot ship musical instruments to Italy. I believe there is--or was--a museum in Italy that had this maker's ocarinas and I wanted it to go back there, but because of what seems to be a restriction on sending instruments there it just sat here. That is why I am offering it here, for just the cost of postage. I want, however, to protect it well and ship it by priority mail.






and you, too, can be a MUSICAL HOBBIT!

 

YES! ME!!!

 

Thank you, King. I will put your name in the hat and will keep this up until Sunday.

 

Oh. I thought it was first asked.

 

Sorry, just trying to be fair. I have been chewed out for doing it both ways.

 

Yes please....for my brother!

 

Ok. Some people's kids...

 

Thank you bob.

 

This ocarina is antique, it was made by Cesare Vicinelli, who died in 1920. He was one of the original ocarina makers of Budrio, where the ocarina was invented in 1853. It has the C. Vicinelli stamp and the Budrio stamp.
If you want to give it away, it may be better to give it to a museum. I certainly wouldn't let kids play with an antique musical instrument. (Sorry kids.)
Here is some info, scroll a bit down the page for Vicinelli:
http://www.ocarina.it/en/history.html

 

Ahhhh, YES! VICINELLI! I remember now, thank you. I knew that when I first researched it years ago, but it has been untouched since then and I forgot that is a V. Amusing that the Met spelled it with an F (which is what mislead me).

As I said, I did want to give it to the ocarina museum in Italy, but never found a way to do that.

 

If it is still a consideration...I would still be in..brother is older..plays carinet, sax, guitar, bag pipes, flute, accordion and I'm sure would enjoy. Certainly understand if you wish to wend to a museum.

 

Morgen, I just sent a message about the museum to your inbox.

 

Hope that this finds its right home, whether a museum or some lucky person.

I am a bit perplexed at the possible rule that "You can't ship musical instruments to Italy". Is that true? Maybe they said you "You shouldn't ship musical instruments to Italy." Don't know how it is nowadays, but postal theft was rampant in Italy years ago. I had friends living there and they even cautioned against using interesting or colorful stamps on a letter as it might be enough to get it stolen. (This was back in the days when people sent actual letters...)

 

I checked, you can't from the US. It is one of those national restrictions, don't ask why.

 

Maybe to protect musical instruments builders in Italy from competition? Interesting.

 

looks interesting - Please put my name in too.

 

I have friends who play darned near everything. If it can't go to Italy, it can come to Connecticut.

 

Thank you all so much for your help with and interest in the ocarina. Any Jewelry suggested a museum in Italy to which it could go, and which was always my wish to do with it (my graduate degree is in Museum Professions). Any Jewelry also suggested a way I can legally get it to Italy, so right now I am pursuing that option. I emailed the museum and if they don't want or need the ocarina I will try one other Italian music-related museum and if that doesn't work out I will go back to my offer of it here.

I really appreciate the help with and enthusiasm for the item. I have a house full of many items I think are similarly interesting and will be giving away here, so I would appreciate the same help for the rest of this. Next up will be some blue willow/flow blue plates.

 

I had a reply this morning from the ocarina museum in Italy:

"thank you very much for your thoughts, I will gladly expose you to my laboratory show.
When I arrive I would still pay shipping fees, if you send me your paypal I can pay the expenses you have borne.

You can wrap it with packaging material or polystyrene, and send it to my address:..."

(I am sure he meant "When it arrives...)

So, it will be going there. Thank you again for your interest and help.