Mantakol
Ceremonial Bowl
Admiralty Islands region, 1900-1932
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Mantakol
Ceremonial Bowl
Admiralty Islands region, 1900-1932
Physical Qualities
Wood, L. 13 in. (33 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Alan Wurtzburger
Object Number
1955.251.13
Young men would have eaten from this bowl and worn this neck ornament during a series of elaborate feasts and dances that were held on Manus Island in the early part of the 20th century. Ceremonies like these were not common prior to this time. Rather, they were invented as a way of honoring young men who, prior to colonialism, would have shown their strength and valor in warfare. Colonial governments suppressed this traditional activity, viewing it as a threat to their own safety, and unwittingly created the need for a whole new class of artworks and ceremonies across the Pacific.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 1955; Alan Wurtzburger
"The Alan Wurtzburger Collection of Oceanic Art", January 7th-March 4th 1956, Baltimore Museum of Art
Douglas F. Fraser & Paul S. Wingret, "The Wurtzburger Collection of Oceanic Art". Baltimore Museum of Art. 1956 pg 20, cat no 22, ills 13
On View at the BMA
