An Ocarina is a small, simple wind instrument shaped like a potato. It is usually made out of terracotta, a European pottery material, or carved from wood. If it is made from clay, it must be tuned when the clay is still wet. The Ocarina has finger holes and a mouth piece and come in all different sizes, the larger ones having a mellow, hollow tone. The Italians adopted it as a folk instrument because they loved its sweet, haunting tone.