Jason Zappulla

4 10 17

Pd. 7

AP Art History Compare and Contrast #22

#220 Tamati waka Nene vs. #222 Malagan display and mask

There are important similarities between Tamati waka Nene by

Gottfried Lindauer, and Malagan display and mask. Both are

ceremonial and ritual artifacts used for honoring the dead and

ancestors. Both pieces are treated with honor and reverence by the

culture that made them, in order to bring the owners closer to the

deceased. Both pieces were made very close together in terms of time

(Malagan was made around 1882-1883, while Tamati waka Nene was

made in 1890). Lastly, both pieces involved large costs: commissioning

a painting is an expensive task thats only for people who have money

to spare, with the ceremonies associated with the Malagan could

become quite expensive due to how much was involved and how

elaborate these affairs were.

However, there are also important differences between Tamati

waka Nene and Malagan display and mask. While Tamati waka Nene is

a direct representation of the person depicted, Malagan is a more

symbolic piece used to convey ideas of property rights, kinship,

connection to the dead, etc. Malagan display and mask is more

functional, as it can be worn and help in land negotiations, serving as a

form of copyright. While Tamati waka Nene was created by a person

outside the native culture; Malagan display and mask was created by a

person in the native culture, for a person in that same culture. Finally,

while Tamati waka Nene depicts a single important individual, Malagan

display and mask is symbolic of ancestors and the dead in general,

rather than one particular person.