Txerria is an ocarina that is part of a collection inspired by animals that currently inhabit or once inhabited Spain and represents the pig, a fundamental animal in the rural and cultural landscape of the Iberian Peninsula.
Pigs are intelligent and social animals, capable of forming bonds with other animals and humans. They have a wide capacity for communication, using over 20 different sounds in various situations, from greetings to food requests. Rubbing their noses together is their favorite form of greeting. Domesticated more than six thousand years ago, even before cows, today there is one pig for every six humans in the world.
They are naturally clean animals and avoid soiling the area where they eat and sleep, unless space is insufficient. Since they lack sweat glands, they cover themselves in mud to cool down on hot days.
The pig has different names depending on its age and function: gorrino for pigs under 4 months old, verraco for the breeding male, cochinillo or lechón for piglets, and cochino for those fattened for slaughter. Although human selection has favored the gluttonous pigs for production purposes, in their natural habitat, pigs eat in moderation, preferring a diet of herbs, roots, fruits, and seeds.
As one of the oldest farmed species, the pig reflects the historical relationship between humans and animals.