Archives | New Ireland
Malagan figure
New Ireland
Malagan effigy
New Ireland
Early 20th century
Carved wood, pigments and shells
Height: 145 cm – 57 in.
Provenance
Galerie Le Corneur Roudillon, Paris
Collection Roberto Matta (1911-2002), New York / Paris
Gifted by the artist to his son, Ramuntcho Matta, Paris in 1976
Acquired from the above in 2025
Sold
Surrealist artists such as Roberto Matta, to whom this figure once belonged, Max Ernst, and André Breton were fascinated by the arts of Oceania, and of New Ireland in particular. They saw in these works a source of “poetic sublime” that resonated with their quest to liberate the imagination and to pursue poetic expression beyond the bounds of reason.
This sculpture represents a standing figure and includes various animal representations.
This carving was ritually displayed during Malagan ceremonies. These ritual cycles constituted the final stage of mourning for important ancestors. Malagan performances aimed at restoring social balance and harmony.
Acting not as a portrait of the departed, « but rather as a representation of the vital energy which engendered and animated him » (see "Arts Rituels d’Océanie, Nouvelle-Irlande", Michael Gunn, 1997, p. 49), the statue illustrates ancestral motifs specific to the individual or the clan. Philippe Peltier notes in "New Ireland: Art of the South Pacific" (quai Branly museum, 2006, p. 78) that the Malagan aims at picking up the ancestor's energy, channeling it and sharing it out among the members of the clan to tighten social bonds within the community.
The sculpture presented here is redolent with power and poetry. It constitutes a superb example of the classic arts of New Ireland.
This sculpture represents a standing figure and includes various animal representations.
This carving was ritually displayed during Malagan ceremonies. These ritual cycles constituted the final stage of mourning for important ancestors. Malagan performances aimed at restoring social balance and harmony.
Acting not as a portrait of the departed, « but rather as a representation of the vital energy which engendered and animated him » (see "Arts Rituels d’Océanie, Nouvelle-Irlande", Michael Gunn, 1997, p. 49), the statue illustrates ancestral motifs specific to the individual or the clan. Philippe Peltier notes in "New Ireland: Art of the South Pacific" (quai Branly museum, 2006, p. 78) that the Malagan aims at picking up the ancestor's energy, channeling it and sharing it out among the members of the clan to tighten social bonds within the community.
The sculpture presented here is redolent with power and poetry. It constitutes a superb example of the classic arts of New Ireland.
Publication
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