Memorial (malagan)
- Artist Culture
- New Ireland artist
- Date
- late 19th to early 20th century
- Material
- Wood, pigment, shell
- Classification
- Sculpture, wood
- Current Location
- On View, Gallery 106
- Dimensions
- 17 1/2 x 5 1/8 x 59 13/16 in. (44.5 x 13 x 152 cm)
- Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Rights
- Contact Us
- Object Number
- 244:1952
NOTES
A hornbill figure, nestled among a panel of intricate openwork designs, demonstrates the virtuosity of New Ireland sculptors. Memorial sculptures such as this, called "malagan," were created to honor the deceased.
As part of memorial ceremonies, a large group of such sculptures were displayed beneath a structure built upon the collective graves of the most esteemed ancestors, next to the men’s ceremonial house. This sculpture represents infinite varieties of subject matter interpreted as spirits who are the keepers of forests and waterways. Malagan ceremonies grant people the rights to exploit these resources for subsistence. At the end of the ceremonies, the sculptures were left to deteriorate in the forest.
Provenance
- 1952
Berkeley Galleries, London, England
1952 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Berkeley Galleries, London, England [1]
Notes:
[1] An invoice dated October 15, 1952 from Berkeley Galleries to the City Art Museum documents the purchase of this object, listed as "carved & painted Malangan, New Ireland" [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, October 10, 1952.
Berkeley Galleries, London, England
1952 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Berkeley Galleries, London, England [1]
Notes:
[1] An invoice dated October 15, 1952 from Berkeley Galleries to the City Art Museum documents the purchase of this object, listed as "carved & painted Malangan, New Ireland" [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, October 10, 1952.