"Malagan" figure · Papua New Guinea - Bismarck Archipelago - New Ireland · ID: 3032587
Christie’s Paris, Art Africain et Océanien, 1 décembre 2010, lot 88
Description
wood, light brown patina, small remains of black, red and white paint, tar-like blackish mass at the coiffure, eyes (figure and fish) with shell inlay (Turbo phetoloatus opercula), standing in the mouth of a large fish (shark), dominated by a powerful head with forceful and accentuated cut facial features, the half circular open mouth revealing two rows of strong teeth and a bare tongue, slightly dam., minor missing parts (right arm), cracks, paint rubbed off;
presumably a type of “malanggatsak” figure, representing a powerful image that can inflict harm. Those pieces were probably made to lean against the inner wall of the “malagan” enclosure. The relationship of sharks and humans is a subject of great interest in New Ireland sculpture. Possibly the figure was originally part of a “malagan” post of the vertical type “eikuar”, which was cut subsequently. (Vgl. M. Gunn, 1997, p. 114)
The object “Malagan” figure with the object ID 3032587 was part of the auction 68th tribal art auction on March 3, 2012. The object with the lot number 66 achieved a sales price of EUR 8,100 with an asking price of EUR 7,000.
You can find more Figures, Malagan and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on Oceanian art.
Comparing literature
Lincoln, Louise, Assemblage of Spirits, 1987, p. 126, ill. 29 Gunn, Michael, Ritual Arts of Oceania - New Ireland, Genf, Mailand 1997, p. 114