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In the northern half of New Ireland and the nearby islands, the death of an important member of the community sets off a cycle of funerary rites called malagan, which finishes some years after his death. The final ceremony with dances and gift distribution culminates in the exhibition of sculptures made for the occasion. Once they have been viewed, the sculptures are destroyed or left to rot.
At the end of the nineteenth century, an astonishing number of malagan appeared in collections. Once the ceremonies were finished, the sculptures lost their efficacy and instead of being destroyed or left to rot, they were sold to Europeans. Famous for their intricate, interlocking structures, malagan exhibit a wide range of styles. They intrigued not only the explorers and scientists but also the artists of the early twentieth century, especially the German Expressionists and French Surrealists, who found inspiration in these art forms.
There are now estimated to be over 25,000 works from New Ireland in public and private collections.
Surrealist artist André Breton in his studio in Paris with a New Ireland mask. Photograph by Edouard Boubat, 1956 © Gamma Rapho / Getty Images
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