Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Objects created for the Malangan ceremonies of northern New Ireland come in a variety of forms, all of which are used to commemorate and honor the dead. Each family has its own patterns and motifs that are used for Malangan objects. Malangan designs, motifs, and forms are often referred to as having “copyrights.” While this does not line up perfectly with the Western use of the term, it is a relatively good way to understand the rules of use connected with them. Only people who have the “rights” to them can use the designs, motifs, and forms, and these rights are owned by specific families as well as by people who have reached certain important stages in life (such as marriage or the birth of a child). The head of a family may contribute an object or design to another family’s Malangan, and after that the other family has the right to the patterns, motifs, and/or object type that was given. While a wide variety of patterns are used the colors of red, black, white, and yellow are common colors.