Province: New Ireland, Papua New Guinea
Town: Kavieng
Languages:23 different languagesArea: 240,000 km2
Population: 194,067 inhabitants (2011 census)
The Malagan carvings and masks are internationally renowned and are to be found in some of the world’s finest museums!
But Malagan is much more than a genre of carvings, it refers to an ancient and revered set of cultural practices and ceremonies that were common throughout the arear that is now the province of New Ireland.
The carvings, exquisite as they are, are actually only the conclusion of a complex set of funeral ceremonies that often can go on for months at a time.
Malagan culture refers to the northern New Ireland practice of honouring the deceased with special ceremonies to assist their souls to pass into the spirit world.
The term “Malagan” refers to the actual ceremonies and the carved masks, figures and posts made for use in them.
