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These figures come from New Ireland, a large island that is part of the country of Papua New Guinea. Malagan figures are usually carved by sculptors who live and work in the community. Sculptors use different forms and designs that are specific to each clan. Rights to the designs are owned by individual clan members, multiple different clan members, or the clan as a whole. Designs can only be reproduced by an owner of the rights, with the assistance of a sculptor. Great care is taken to avoid infringing upon the designs owned by another man or lineage. Because Malagan figures are traditionally discarded or burned after use, it is important for the owner to remember exactly what his clan’s Malagan looked like so that he will be able to reproduce the design.
What Inspired It?
Malagan figures are described as “skins” that contain the life force of a deceased person during a funerary ritual. The name “Malagan” is given to both the carvings and the funeral ceremonies. While the sculpture is not intended to be a picture of the deceased, it is thought of as an image of the life force that produced and animated the once living person. Funerals are considered joyous occasions. Malagan carvings take center stage in funeral rites and allow the soul of the deceased to take part in the spiritual realm of immortality. Although Malagan figures are traditionally discarded after use, ethnographers claim 5,000 to 7,000 Malagan carvings are kept in collections worldwide. Fascinated and intrigued by these sculptures, anthropologists and early colonial collectors began collecting them soon after being discarded. Sometimes, Malagan figures are sold after they have been used for their funerary purposes.
Things to Look For
Open Fretwork & Solid Interior
Malagan figures appear to have two forms—the outside and the inside. Open fretwork surrounds a solid, ornately carved and painted central core. The net-like exterior is interpreted as a “trap” for the life force. The figures have been described as “bodies wrapped in images.”
Paint
Painting is the final step in the process of making Malagan figures. The carving is washed in white paint, which is made from ashes and mixed with water from a young coconut. Black, red, and yellow paint is used to create the designs. The act of painting is thought to give the figure life.
Rock Cod
The large figure is a representation of a fish called the rock cod—a wam or bigmaus. The rock cod is known to live under rocks and has the unusual characteristic of becoming female with age. It serves as a symbol of fertility for the clan—with its change in sex it becomes capable of reproducing. The rock cod also connects to the matrilineal structure of the culture.
Warrior Figures with Hornbill Heads
The two smaller figures are defined as warrior figures. Each appears to be topped with a cocomo, or hornbill. The warrior attached to the nose of the fish is called the “stopper warrior,” or Kor. In this instance, the kor is interpreted as containing the life force that has entered the rock cod effigy.
Eyes
The figures’ eyes are made from the iris-like suction pods of shells, which are collected by women on the dry reef. The term for the Malagan eye is “banana shoot.”
Each lesson plan includes high-quality image and information about the art.
Early Childhood (ages 3–5)
Visual Arts
Students will list colors, shapes, and images they see in the Malagan figures. The teacher will then put the items on the list into a song (using a familiar tune) to help students remember all that they saw.
Students will explore the concept of memory/remembering using the Malagan figures from New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. They will participate in memory games, talk about how to remember and honor family members, and learn how to use mnemonic devices to remember details and items in a list.
Students will discuss what cultures value and how they honor what they value. They will learn about the importance of the artistic process in creating the Malagan figures from New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. They will create poems based on the class discussion.
Artists who make Malagan figures make their own paints from natural materials. Have your students experiment with making paint using materials they find outside. Materials can include leaves, flower petals, bark, seeds, etc.
Malagan figures are meant to be a kind of trap for the life force of a deceased person. Have students bring an object that they treasure to class, and design a container to keep it in. Think about images and patterns that would protect the object and reflect the importance of what is inside.
Find Out More
New Ireland: Art of the South Pacific (Part 1)
New Ireland: Art of the South Pacific (Part 2)
This two part video from the Saint Louis Art Museum explores the life and culture of the indigenous people of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. Malagan figures and funeral rituals are discussed.
