Malagan figures

Malagan figures

Culture
Papua New Guinea
Locale
New Ireland
Country
Papua New Guinea
Object
figure, malagan
Medium
wood, paint, fiber and shell
Accession Number
2001.177A-C
Credit Line
Gift of Joan and George Anderman

Papua New Guinea artist, Malagan Figures, mid-1900s. Wood, paint, fiber and shell; 88 x 12 x 41 in. Denver Art Museum: Gift of Joan and George Anderman, 2001.177A-C

Dimensions
length: 88 in, 223.5200 cm; width: 12 in, 30.4800 cm; height: 41 in, 104.1400 cm
Department
Native Arts
Collection
Arts of Oceania
This sculpture was made by an artist on the island of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, for use in an indigenous Malagan ceremony. The entire surface is covered with brilliantly colored geometric designs that serve to unify the three parts of the composition: the central fish and the two male human figures attached to its side and snout. The fish is carved from a single piece of wood, and open projections form its mouth and dorsal fins.
Exhibition History
  • "Giants of Melanesia: Monumental Art from the South Pacific"—Denver Art Museum, 3/3/2001 - 9/30/2001
  • “Stampede: Animals in Art” — Denver Art Museum, 9/10/2017