Lot 1A
Oceania, Melanesia, Papua New Guinea, New Ireland, Tabar Island, ca. early 20th century CE. Rising in a tall, commanding form, this totok Malagan figure from the Tabar Islands of New Ireland presents a masterwork of ceremonial carving. Fashioned from wood and adorned with red, black, and white pigments, the figure's inlaid shell eyes convey a penetrating, spiritual presence. The composition features an ancestral figure gripping long spears, framed within an intricate openwork structure and crowned by a high, crested headdress. Malagan sculptures were created for elaborate funerary rites that honored and released the spirits of the dead while affirming clan identity and transmitting land and ritual rights. More than simple likenesses, they were "skins" embodying the life force of the deceased. Each design was intellectual property of the clan, guarded closely and reproduced only with rightful permission. Size: 6" W x 30.8" H (15.2 cm x 78.2 cm); 31.6" H (80.3 cm) on included custom stand.
Displayed only once during the final Malagan rites, these carvings were traditionally destroyed, left to decay, or sold after their ceremonial use. This figure stands as a rare survivor of one of Oceania's most intricate ceremonial art forms - its layered symbolism and visual complexity serving as a testament to the artistry and cultural richness of New Ireland's Malagan tradition.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA; ex-James Economos Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA; originally obtained by the Swedish owner Cal Wilhelm Oberg of a copra plantation on the island of Tabar between 1920 to 1932, was brought back to Sweden after 1932
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#196404
- Condition: Old repairs in areas with adhesive and break lines visible; repainting over some break lines. Chipping with losses to some spikes, as well as a few stable fissures and abrasions to surface. Nice remaining pigments with scattered patina. Great overall presentation and good detail.
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