Malangan figure

On the island of New Ireland, a variety of wooden masks, decorative boards, and sculptures are produced for use in malanggan, the complex commemoration ceremonies of central social significance held to honour and bid farewell to the dead. Special importance is accorded to carved works that represent the deceased persons and their life force. This figure, with arms outstretched, embraced by a snake, and painted in strong red, black, and white tones, is a work of this type. After being presented once as the climax and culmination of the ceremonies, the carvings are left to decay or, as has been common since the colonial times of the late 19th century, sold to outsiders. The use of pictorial elements and particular compositional forms – such as the snake motif seen here – is regulated by a multi-layered system of copyright and rights of use. These rights are determined by affiliation with certain family groups, but can also be obtained through prestigious acts.