VANUATU, Malekula Island, Melanesian population. - Lot 338

VANUATU, Malekula Island, Melanesian population. Over-modeled skull, first half to half of the 20th century. H. 20 cm - W. 14 cm - D. 23 cm (when viewed). Not seated. Skull covered with a layer of painted clay (natural ochre and black pigments), this clay over-modeling is used to recover the features of the deceased. The paint draws two irregular lines on the face, passing over each eye and the wings of the nose, from a black area on the sides and back of the skull. A remnant of hair is caught in a natural spiderweb. A plant-fiber headband delimits the front and back of the skull. This skull honors a prestigious member of the community, elevated to the rank of ancestor (supernatural guide of divine order). This honor is reserved for those who have acquired and attained a high rank (Vanuatu societies are known as "rank societies": social position is acquired through the purchase of rank). The body is left in a secluded spot to decompose, then the head is retrieved and placed in an ant farm for total flesh cleansing. This is followed by over-modeling. First, the skull is placed on a funerary effigy (rambaramb) displayed in the village's central square (nakamal). After the rites observed, the effigy is abandoned and gradually disintegrates. Only the skull is preserved and placed in the community house. The head is a vital part of the body in the beliefs of Oceania's cultures, concentrating the power of each individual and enabling descendants to harness and benefit from the power of the honored ancestor. With its earthen features, face paint and well-preserved hair and plant elements, this example imposes its presence and magic, as André Breton intended. The Surrealist leader showed a keen interest in this type of object. Provenance: former French private collection. Selective bibliography: Felix SPEISER (English translation by D.Q. Stephenson), Ethnology of Vanuatu: an early twentieth century study, Hawaii Univ. Press; plates IV to VI. Corpus for comparison: object photograph in Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, PV0081228.