Carved wooden figure (also known as totok), from special commemorative festival (malagan)

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This carved figure (totok), a stylised human grasping a bird and being attacked by snakes, represents a community's ancestral spirit in New Ireland in the Pacific. It was made for display during a funerary malagan ceremony.

This openwork carved wooden figure shows a human-like figure grasping a bird with its head outstretched towards his feet. Stylised snakes reach up from beneath his feet. The lifelike eyes are made from parts of snails.

Malagan ceremonies took several days, cost a lot to organise, and often took place several years after an important person died. They commemorated that person and any others who had died, and sent off their spirits.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-180-000-763-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland Part 2
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  A.1899.292
• Date: 1890s
  
• Material: Idol
  
• Dimensions: 31.50" H
  
• What: Idol
  
• Subject: Miscellaneous
  
• Who:
• Where: Melanesia, New Ireland
  
• Event:
• Description: Wooden idol of an erect demon surrounded by bird and snake-like figures, carved in openwork and painted, and with opercula eyes and fibre hair: Melanesian, New Ireland
  
• References:
  • Lincoln, L (ed). Assemblage of Spirits. New York: George Braziller, 1987. 
  • Sheridan, J A (ed). Heaven and Hell and Other Worlds of the Dead. Edinburgh: National Museum of Scotland, 2000. 
• Translations:
• Related Records: