Malangan Human Figure, late 20th century
New Ireland District, Tabar Island, Papua New Guinea
Wood, pigment, and shell (Snail Opercula), 50 × 5 1/2 × 7 1/2 in. (127 × 14 × 19 cm)
Conserved, 2021
Courtesy the American Museum of Natural History, Division of Anthropology, New York City, 80.1/2609A

Malangan carvings from Papua New Guinea, such as the example shown here, were originally intended to be cast aside and destroyed following their use in memorial ceremonies. Their collection and presence in museums was sometimes viewed by their Indigenous makers and users as a legitimate means of deactivation, since their potency lies less in their physical condition than in the temporary ritual enactment of the genealogical histories and social, spiritual, and environmental relationships expressed by particular motifs. In many communities, the knowledge of producing and interpreting malangan has become endangered. In such cases, extant carvings preserved in museum collections can serve as references with which this craft knowledge and cultural practice may be revitalized.