Frieze for Malagan Ceremony, New Ireland

American Private Collection
Bonhams, London, July 3, 1990, lot 139, consigned by the above
Lynda Cunningham, New York, acquired at the above auction

Good condition for an object of this type and age. Marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions and age cracks throughout consistent with age. Fibre and feather attachments are fragile with some losses. Chipping and flaking to pigment throughout as seen in catalogue illustrations. Good remains of polychrome aged surface.Two modern eye-hooks on reverse for mounting.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Highly anticipated and meticulously prepared for long periods of time, often over the course of years, malagan ceremonies are intricate and extensive affairs that are held in the name of one or more deceased members of a community. These occasions signal the culmination of the mourning period for the departed alongside a tightly choreographed and stylized sequence of music, song, gestures, and dancing. Peltier describes how "This ultimate exhibition is designed, according to a common expression in New Ireland, to 'finish the dead man,' to efface him from the world of the living by sending his soul into the spirit world. But it is not merely a farewell. It is a matter of controlling the 'soul' or rather the 'vital force' of the dead man in order to pass it on to the next generation." (Gunn & Peltier, eds., New Ireland: Art of the South Pacific, 2006, p. 78)

As important as human actions are to these ceremonies, however, those inanimate images of malagan objects, such as the present architectural element, composed of birds, fish, and abstract geometry, are crucial to the successful realization of these events. Colorful and elaborate in nature, these figures may depict animals and other creatures with the anthropomorphic being. On the ritual role of these figures, Peltier continues, "The "images" play a decisive role in this redistribution process. They act as mediators between the worlds. Erected under leafy shelters which may attain a great height, they draw all eyes and dominate the surrounding area. They watch over the ceremony" (Ibid.).