Sakabul mouth ornament in the shape of a hornbill - Lot 87

Sakabul mouth ornament in the shape of a hornbill Malangan, New Ireland Wood, pigments, pearls, turbo lid L. 25 cm Provenance: - Georges Goldfayn Collection (1933- 2019), France - Galerie Berthet-Aittouarès, 2024, France - Private collection, France Delicate Sakabul mouth ornament in the shape of a hornbill. He has retained his pearl ornaments and the base of his neck was once most likely covered with feathers. During the rites of Malangan ceremonies in northern New Ireland, dancers holding the carved wooden mask in their mouths spiraled, arms wide open, to the beat of drums. A photo taken by Augustin Krämer in the village of Hamba in February 1909 shows a dancer with a vatlam similar to the one in the Goldfayn collection. It is also very close to that of the legendary Ernst Heinrich collection, which was collected in the center of New Ireland in May 1909 (see Parke-Bernet New York sale 1967-10-21, lot 52), to those collected by Alfred Buhler in Tabar in 1931, or to those sold to the Sydney museum by Captain Farrel in 1887. Malangan mouth ornaments, which vary greatly in form, are worn between the teeth by dancers during dance ceremonies.