Producer unknown to us
Melanesia, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea, New Ireland (Niu Ailan)
Late 19th century
Wood (Alstonia villosa), carved, sea snail (Turbo petholatus), pigments
Purchased in 1904 by Ludolf Kummer, planter and trader in New Ireland.
Inv. No. 68617
The art of New Ireland traditionally focuses on funeral ceremonies and celebrations in honor of the dead. In northern New Ireland, these elaborate ceremonies are called malanggan. This is also the term for the carved and painted sculptures associated with the ceremonies.
The preparation for the malanggan ceremonies begins after a funeral and can last anywhere from a month to several years. During this time, performances are organized, feasts are prepared and carvers are commissioned to create complex structures that usually involve several figures in their design.
As these preparations require a large fortune in the form of pigs and shell money, it is common for families to pool their resources and sponsor a ceremony for more than one person.
The purpose of the malanggan ceremonies is to send the souls of the deceased to the realm of the dead. At the culmination of the ceremony, the commissioned malanggan sculptures are displayed in temporary exhibition houses. Each sculpture honors a specific person and illustrates their relationship to ancestors, clan totems, or living family members. It is considered a representation of an individual’s soul and life force, not a direct portrait. During the ceremonies, the malanggans are treated with the utmost care, as it is believed that the souls of the deceased actually inhabit the sculptures. Once the soul has left the malanggan, and thus the world of the living, the sculptures are no longer needed and are usually burnt or left to decay.
At the end of the 19th century, the great interest of European collectors in malanggan figures was well known. Selling carvings that were no longer needed did not contradict the idea of the transition of the souls of the dead through the decay of their dwellings, as the objects had already been abandoned by the spirit of the deceased. The proceeds from the sale were reinvested in the production of new malanggan carvings and, thus, in the continuation of the tradition.
This malanggan carving, featuring a double-sided display value, was integrated as a decorative element in the design of the exhibition or mask houses. A very common motif in malanggan carving is a bird carrying another bird (the deceased) away from the world of the living. The collector of this piece, Ludolf Kummer, left the following object note: “Mask Lamisisi. The large bird in the mask is called Bongbonge.”