Head of a malagan figure
- DATE:
- early 20th century
- MATERIAL AND TECHNIQUE:
- Wood, paint, and opercula
- CLASSIFICATION:
- Sculpture
- DIMENSIONS:
- Overall: 38 1/2 x 18 1/4 x 12 1/4 in. (97.79 x 46.35 x 31.11 cm)
- DEPARTMENT:
- Arts of the Pacific Islands
- LOCATION:
- Arts of the Pacific Islands - Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, Level 3
- CREDIT LINE:
- Dallas Museum of Art, the Roberta Coke Camp Fund
- COPYRIGHT:
- This work is in the public domain. Image courtesy Dallas Museum of Art.
- OBJECT NUMBER:
- 1975.13
General Description
Heads such as this were the major sculptural components of large seated figures assembled from vines and other plant materials for the malagan. Malagan is the name for the elaborate funerary ceremonies and feasts to honor the dead in New Ireland, and it is also the term used to describe the masks and sculptures made for the ceremonies. Although most malagan objects were ephemeral, discarded at the end of the festivities and allowed to disintegrate, heads of this type and certain kinds of masks were kept for reuse in subsequent ceremonies.
Adapted from
DMA Label text.
Web Resources
- Tribal Trust, YouTube
Watch Mathew Salle, a carver on Tabar Islands in Papua New Guinea, make a traditional malagan sculpture. - Tribal Trust, YouTube
Watch an interview of Edward Salle, a traditional owner of Malangan on theTabar Islands in Papua New Guinea. - Khan Academy
Read more about the malagan and see other examples of masks and sculptures. - Encyclopedia Britannica
Read about the climate, people, culture, and history of Papua New Guinea. - Encyclopedia Britannica
Learn more about the region of Oceania. - National Museums Scotland
Explore resources about arts of the Oceania region of the Pacific.