IDNO

P.936.ACH1

Description

On Catalogue Card: “Dance of the Bomai-Malu, Mer (cinematograph) (VI, XXIX, 2).”

The masks worn by the dancers were made by Wano and Enocha of Mer. [JD 03/07/2019]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Torres Strait; Mer

Cultural Affliation

Torres Strait Islander

Named Person

Photographer

None

Collector / Expedition

Haddon, Alfred Cort [Cambridge University Anthropological Expedition to the Torres Straits, 1898 - 1899]

Date

August 1898

Collection Name

Mounted Haddon CollectionTorres Strait Island Expedition

Source

Haddon, Alfred Cort (Dr)

Format

Print Black & White Mounted

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Publication: A similar image is printed in Reports VI: XXIX fig. 3 with the caption: “Three phases of the Ceremonial Dance of the Bomai-Malu zogo-le (pp.306-7)”. Zogo-le refers to the men allowed to wear the sacred masks.
Haddon mentions the occasion of this film in his journal (1898: 210) remarking “it was .. only just at the last that we could get part of the Malu ceremony danced with the masks that had been made for me - but the dance was worth waiting for. I tried to cinematograph it - but as has often happened the machine jams + the film is spoiled ...” The dance and filming took place at Kiam (VI: 306, ft. 1).

Related Objects: The masks worn in this image, Bomai and Malu, were made for Haddon by Wano and Enocha of Mer, a description can be found in Headhunters 1901:46 and Reports VI: 289. It is now part of the UCMAA collection (Z9440; Z9441), see also N.22926.ACH2; N.229647.ACH2.

Related images: P.933.ACH1; P.934.ACH1; P.935.ACH1; P.936.ACH1; P.937.ACH1; P.938.ACH1; P.940.ACH1; P.941.ACH1; P.942.ACH1; P.943.ACH1; P.944.ACH1; P.945.ACH1; P.946.ACH1; P.947.ACH1; P.948.ACH1; P.949.ACH1; P.950.ACH1

MAA Exhibition: Same image, paired with P.934.ACH1 and P.937.ACH1, included in 1920s Exhibition Case Binders "Cases 5-10. Torres Strait." (OA2/16/4) with the following caption: "39, 40, 41. These are cinematograph photographs of the procession of the zogo le taken by A. C. Haddon in 1898.
It was necessarily a revival as the old ceremony had been obsolete for many years. The zogo le wore imitation masks (case 6) as the originals had been destroyed, but otherwise the performances was substantially accurate.
The Bomai-Malu ceremony were awe-inspiring and made a profound religious impression not only on the novices but on all engaged in them, the effect of which was lasting. Belief in the sanctity of the cult and the cult objects persisted long after the people became Christianized.
For Nos. 38-42 see Vol. VI, pp. 281-312." [JD 14/09/2021]

Publication: Image published in 'Peltier Philippe, & Floriane Morin (eds.) 2006. Shadows of New Guinea (Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva) p.227, and captioned: "Dancers wearing cardboard masks made exclusively for A.C. Haddon and his companions. © University of Cambridge, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology." [JD 11/09/2018]