Showcased by
Tatanua mask
New Ireland
End of 19th century
Height: 48 cm
Wood, fiber, trade cloth, Turbo petholatus opercula, nut paste and pigments
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.
Provenance
Roberto Matta, Paris
Old label reading : « 8024/6125 Neu Mecklenburg
Publication(s)
Conru, Kevin, Bismarck Archipelago Art, Five Continents 2013 page 58 and 294
Exhibition(s)