The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of May 10, 2024
Malagan Memorial Festival Pole
1800s
Overall: 92.7 cm (36 1/2 in.)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Munro 1971.149
Location: not on view
Description
At the death of an important individual in New Ireland society, villagers begin preparations for an elaborate funeral (malagan) ceremony. Food is collected for feasts, and artists are commissioned to carve elaborate sculptures and masks. Neighboring groups are invited to the ceremonies, which last for days and include speeches, dancing, music, feasts, and exchanges of goods. The ceremonies climax in the display of the elaborately carved, brightly painted art works. After the guests' departure, the malagan sculptures and masks are discarded, or sometimes stored.- Traditions and Revisions: Themes from the History of Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 24-November 16, 1975).Year in Review: 1971. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 28, 1971-February 6, 1972).
- {{cite web|title=Malagan Memorial Festival Pole|url=false|author=|year=1800s|access-date=10 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1971.149