222. Malagan display and mask. New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea. 20th century CE Wood, pigment, fiber, and Shell.

• Form
  • extremely intricate in their carving
  • artist are specialists in using negative space
  • painted black yellow and red: important colors denoting violence, war, and magic
• Ceremonies
  • Malagan ceremonies send the soul of the deceased on the way to the otherworld
  • sometimes ceremonies begin months after death, and can last an extended period of time
  • Ceremonies free the living of the obligation of serving the dead.
• Content
  • Sculptures of the deceased are commissioned; they represent the individual's life force or soul, NOT physical presence
  • Mask indicates the relationship of a particular deceased person to a clan, and living members of the family
  • Large hair comb reflects the hairstyle of the time, but masks are not physical portraits, only portraits of the soul.