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Bolxuam
Michael Xomerang
Medina Village, New Ireland
Papua New Guinea
circa 1993
Wood (probably Alstonia sp.), snail shell (Turbo petholatus), natural pigments (probably including lime, charcoal, and earth ochres)
29" x 52.5" x 14"
$14,000.00 CDN see note below
CAT# MED 0801
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Momarba clan chief Julius Bokawa Laisie explains this piece:
"This carving is from my clan. [Elder and malagan owner] Tamun Kosep prepared it for Michael Xomerang to carve. Both have now passed away. This particular malagan did not come from a dream: Tamun Kosep received it from our ancestors when he was still a young boy. It represents the ancestors that have passed away, and is usually used in the time of a big malagan feast. The big fish, called bulavai, swallows our ancestors after their bodies have burned to ash. The figure's name is Laisie."
Laisie wears a kapkap, a shell pendant worn by a clan leader and publicly revealed only during malagan festivities. Each concentric ring on a kapkap represents the right to speak for one clan. This particular kapkap represents the Momarba clan.
For an alternate rendering of the fish bolxuam, see the lower portion of Axambal.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Following the wishes of the Momarba clan (see the show's introduction), this piece can only be sold to a major public arts institution, or to a private buyer purchasing it for an institution (either directly or for a collection willed to an institution). The clan wants this important part of their heritage seen as well as preserved. Contact us for more information.
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