Malagan Figure, New Ireland height 46 1/2in (118cm) Lot 83W Y
US$ 20,000 - 30,000 €14,000 - 22,000 Auction Details Malanggan
Figure, New Ireland height 46 1/2in (118cm) Lot Details Malagan
Figure, New Ireland Wood, lime, red ochre, black pigment,
shells, adhesive putty height 46 1/2in (118cm)  Norman Hurst
Gallery, Cambridge, Massachusetts Private Collection,
Massachusetts  According to Gunn (2006: p. 222), "The human
figure is the basic unit of malagan sculpture. However, on Tabar
at least, a sculptural image that looks like a human is most
probably not a portrait of someone. It is rather an inherited
malagan image used to honor a person who has died... ...It is
not clear why some animals are depicted in the art of northern
New Ireland, and why others are not. Fish, birds, and snakes
form a large part of the repertoire, several varieties of lizard
are also shown, as is the occasional octopus. But dogs, sharks,
and crocodiles are all missing from the iconography, as are
images of non-New Irelanders, including