Prince Alexander Mountains, Papua New Guinea
Early 20th century
Wood, earth pigments, lime, charcoal
Height: 27¼ in (69 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Cairns, Australia
The Boiken people of the Prince Alexander Mountains occupy a territory stretching from the north Sepik plains through the southern foothills, and their figurative sculpture is considered among the most abstract and formally resolved produced in the region. Wooden cult figures known as malingatcha were produced in male and female pairs and used during male initiation ceremonies, kept inside a special hut within the initiation enclosure where they were secretly shown to initiates, freshly painted and ritually charged. Initiates were instructed to stand before the figures, receive their new identities from the ritual guardians of the carvings, and observe a set of taboos for the months that followed.
This female malingatcha is carved in the classic Boiken form, with arms and legs bent and hands raised in a symmetrical posture. The surface retains its original earth pigments in orange and pink tones characteristic of early Boiken sculpture, with additional highlights in white lime and black charcoal accentuating the carved forms. The nose and ears are pierced with suspension holes for ritual adornments, and the multiple layers of applied pigment reflect the figure's use across numerous initiation ceremonies over many decades of active ceremonial life.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Prince Alexander Mountains, Papua New Guinea
Early 20th century
Wood, earth pigments, lime, charcoal
Height: 27¼ in (69 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Cairns, Australia
The Boiken people of the Prince Alexander Mountains occupy a territory stretching from the north Sepik plains through the southern foothills, and their figurative sculpture is considered among the most abstract and formally resolved produced in the region. Wooden cult figures known as malingatcha were produced in male and female pairs and used during male initiation ceremonies, kept inside a special hut within the initiation enclosure where they were secretly shown to initiates, freshly painted and ritually charged. Initiates were instructed to stand before the figures, receive their new identities from the ritual guardians of the carvings, and observe a set of taboos for the months that followed.
This female malingatcha is carved in the classic Boiken form, with arms and legs bent and hands raised in a symmetrical posture. The surface retains its original earth pigments in orange and pink tones characteristic of early Boiken sculpture, with additional highlights in white lime and black charcoal accentuating the carved forms. The nose and ears are pierced with suspension holes for ritual adornments, and the multiple layers of applied pigment reflect the figure's use across numerous initiation ceremonies over many decades of active ceremonial life.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
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