EXCEPTIONAL CEREMONIAL NALOT PLAT, MALO ISLAND, VANUATU ARCHIPELAGO, 19th CENTURY OR BEFORE hardwood (serianthes melaesica or serianthes myriadenia) with superb old patina AN EXCEPTIONAL CEREMONIAL NALOT DISH, MALO ISLAND, VANUATU ARCHIPELAGO, 19TH CENTURY OR EARLIER 22 x 148 x 29 CM - 8,7 x 58,3 x 11,4 IN. The blue man's nalot dish Social and ritual life in Vanuatu is punctuated by complex ceremonies during which the inhabitants climb the ladder of secret societies to acquire knowledge and prestige through the passage to a higher rank. These ceremonies take place in the men's houses. The Rambaramp funeral mannequins from the south of Malakula, and the stylised figures sculpted from tree ferns in Ambryn, are among the emblematic Vanuatu objects found at the heart of these ceremonies. There is a wide variety of rites and artistic traditions, in which pigs are always the focus of codified exchanges. Large carved wooden platters are used on the various islands of Vanuatu to prepare and present the food for the ceremonies. In the centre of these large platters, the inhabitants would first grate fruit from the breadfruit tree. Then they added mashed taro and bananas, before mixing them with coconut milk and hot stones for cooking. This is how nalot, the traditional food for grade ceremonies, was prepared. The dishes came in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and had regional stylistic features. This nalot dish is extremely rare, ending in an anthropomorphic figure at one end and a stylised structure with partially broken rings at the other. It is carved from very hard wood with a deep patina, suggesting long ritual use. The rings are interpreted as symbolising the curved teeth of pigs, essential for exchanges during ceremonies. It is said that in ancient times, during cannibal rituals, pieces of the victim could be attached to these rings... The central part of the dish is oval, and highlighted with a jagged motif, quite typical of the north of Malekula, Vao and Malo. The dish has a stable base that raises it by around twenty centimetres. There are only a small number of dishes with anthropomorphic motifs in the Vanuatu art collection, including the Espiritu Santo island dish from the Barbier Mueller collection sold by Christie's in June 2024. This dish ends with a complete human figure, unlike the dish from the Vérité collection (Christie's 2017, lot 184), which features only a head. There is also a dish from the island of Malo currently on display at the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac (OC044), featuring two stylised heads. Pronounced erosion is visible at one end of the dish, indicating that it was probably planted for a time in the ground in a vertical position, with moisture affecting the wood. Similar erosion can also be seen on one side at the level of the tray and the feet. The dish was probably left for some time, lying on the ground and tilted to one side. Inspection of the patina on the platter reveals much darker areas, burnt by the stones used to bake the nalot. The dish has no confirmed provenance, but is undeniably very old, having been used for ritual purposes for a long time. Tests carried out by the CIRAM laboratory (1024-0A-1659J) indicate that the most likely dating is between the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 19th century. The wood is identified as belonging to the Serianthes family, a very common species on the Pacific islands and in Vanuatu. The extraordinary proximity of the human figure carved on this dish to the famous statue of the Blue Man, in the Pavillon des Sessions at the Musée du Louvre, makes it unique. A comparison of the photos highlights the very great similarities in the sculptural treatment of the head, hair, ears, nose and the geometry of the construction. Like the blue man, the figure depicted on the plate wears a bark belt that holds his underwear in place. This is a typical ornament from the north-east of Malakula, a region whose inhabitants had many commercial and cultural exchanges with those of the island of Malo. The blue man. The Blue Man is a famous Vanuatu ambassador to the Sessions Pavilion, and has been elevated to the status of universal masterpiece. This anthropomorphic sculpture is almost 3 metres high, with an elongated face and a questioning, authoritative gaze. It displays the attributes of the men of the small islands of Vao and Malo, nestling to the north-east of Malakuka. The Blue Man occupies a special place in the Vanuatu corpus, as to date only two large wooden statues similar to it are known, the other having been collected by Felix Speier on Malo in 1913. Its history has been reconstructed thanks to the work of ethnologists, and is detailed in an article by Christian Coiffier and Kirk Huffman. The seaside village of Savakas was also home to inhabitants from the island of Vao, and was an important stopping-off point for trade and pig purchases for ceremonies on the island of Malakula. At the end of the 19th century, Kana Supé, the village chief, chose not to follow established traditions. He wanted to celebrate his rise to the highest rank in society by erecting a large wooden statue featuring elements of Malo and Vao, the blue man. This sculpture is said to have been made in Vao by a high-ranking man whose name has come down to us: Meltek Tilé. The blue man commanded the various ceremonies in the ritual enclosure of Chief Kana Supé, during which pigs were exchanged or sacrificed, and large wooden dishes were used to hold food, particularly nalot. An early photograph taken by Reverend Paterson around 1915 shows the blue man at the entrance to the men's house in the village of Savakas, on the south-east coast of Malo. After the death of Chief Kana Supé, the blue man was transferred to his son and then to his half-brother. When his half-brother was converted to the Presbyterian religion, he abandoned his house of men. A young planter, Eugène Gardel, settled in Malo in 1922, and acquired the land containing the abandoned village of Savakas and the men's house. He had his photograph taken with the blue man in 1929. The statue was then acquired by a Port-Vila lawyer who donated it to the Korrigane expedition for the Trocadéro museum in 1935. So, while we thought that the Blue Man was a unique ambassador for Vanuatu, so stylistically does he occupy a special place in the artistic corpus of these islands, the great surprise is to discover here a nalot dish with an anthropomorphic figure very similar to the Blue Man, probably dating from the early 19th century or earlier. We think it could be by the same sculptor, or that the sculptor knew the Blue Man. There are still avenues to be explored to further develop the history of this dish and the art of this part of the world, in particular by exploring the archives of Reverend Paterson, who took photographs of the Sakasas men's house in 1915. In conclusion, we thought that the Blue Man was a unique ambassador for Vanuatu, so stylistically does he occupy a special place in the artistic corpus of these islands. The big surprise here is the discovery of a nalot dish with an anthropomorphic figure very similar to the Blue Man, most likely dating from the early 19th century or earlier. We think it could be by the same sculptor, or that the sculptor knew the Blue Man. There are still a number of avenues to explore in order to continue developing the history of this dish and the art of this part of the world. In particular, we should be able to explore the archives of Reverend Paterson, who took photos of the Sakasas men's house in 1915. Jean-Philippe Beaulieu, Director of Research at the CNRS The Nalot Dish of the Blue Man The social and ritual life of the inhabitants of Vanuatu is marked by complex ceremonies in which individuals ascend through secret societies to gain knowledge and prestige by reaching higher ranks. These ceremonies take place in the men's house. Among the emblematic objects of Vanuatu at the heart of these ceremonies, we can mention the Rambaramp funeral figures from the south of Malekula, and the stylized figures carved from tree ferns in Ambryn. There is a great variety of rites and artistic traditions, but pigs are always at the centre of codified exchanges. Large, carved wooden dishes are used across the islands of Vanuatu to prepare and present food during ceremonies. In the centre of these wide platters, the breadfruit would first be grated. Then, mashed taro and bananas were added, mixed with coconut milk and hot stones for cooking. This is how the nalot, the traditional food for grade ceremonies, was prepared. The dishes varied greatly in shape and size, possessing distinctive regional stylistic characteristics. This nalot dish is extremely rare, ending in an anthropomorphic figure at one end and a stylized structure with partially broken rings at the other. It is carved from very hard wood, with a deep patina suggesting long ritual use. The rings are interpreted as symbolizing the curved teeth of pigs, an essential ingredient in exchanges during ceremonies. It is said that in ancient times, during cannibal rituals, parts of the victim could be attached to these rings. The central part of the dish is oval and outlined with a jagged motif, typical of the north of Malekula, Vao, and Malo. The dish has a stable base that raises it about twenty centimeters above the ground. Within the corpus of Vanuatu art, only a very small number of dishes with anthropomorphic motifs exist. We can mention the dish from Espiritu Santo island, part of the Barbier Mueller collection, sold by Christie's in June 2024, which ends with a full human fi gure, while the one from the Vérité collection (Christie's 2017, lot 184) only features a head. Another dish is currently on display at the Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac Museum (OC044), with two stylized heads from the island of Malo. Notably, the dish shows pronounced erosion at one end, probably from being planted in the ground in a vertical position, with moisture aff ecting the wood. Similar erosion is found on one of the sides at the level of the plate and feet, suggesting that the dish was abandoned for some time, lying flat and tilted. Upon inspecting the patina, much darker areas can be seen, scorched by the stones used to cook the nalot. The dish has no confirmed collection provenance, but it is undoubtedly very old, with long ritual use. Tests carried out by the CIRAM laboratory (1024-0A-1659J) suggest its origin is most likely between the late 17th century and early 19th century. The wood is identified as belonging to the Serianthes family, a species common on the Pacific islands and in Vanuatu. What makes it unique is that the sculpted human figure is extraordinarily close to the Blue Man, the famous statue in the Sessions Pavilion of the Louvre Museum. A comparison of the photos highlights striking similarities in the sculptural treatment of the head, hair, ears, nose, and the geometry of the construction. Like the Blue Man, the figure on the dish wears a loincloth secured by a bark belt, a typical ornament from the northeast of Malekula, a region whose inhabitants had extensive commercial and cultural exchanges with those from the island of Malo. The Blue Man The Blue Man is a famous ambassador of Vanuatu in the Sessions Pavilion, recognised as a universal masterpiece. This anthropomorphic sculpture, nearly 3 metres tall, features an elongated face with an inquisitive and authoritative gaze. It displays attributes of the people from the small islands of Vao and Malo, located in the northeast of Malekula. The Blue Man occupies a unique place in the Vanuatu corpus because, to date, only two similar large wooden statues are known, the other having been collected by Felix Speier at Malo in 1913. Its history has been reconstructed through the work of ethnologists and detailed in an article by Christian Coiffi er and Kirk Huff man. The coastal village of Sanakas also housed inhabitants from the island of Vao and was an important place for the exchange and acquisition of pigs for Malekula's ceremonies. At the end of the 19th century, Kana Supé, the chief of this village, chose not to follow the established traditions. He wished to celebrate his rise to the highest grade of society by erecting a large wooden statue that incorporated elements from both Malo and Vao-the Blue Man. This sculpture is believed to have been made on Vao by a high-ranking carver named Meltek Tilé. The Blue Man oversaw the various ceremonies in Chief Kana Supé's ritual enclosure, where pigs were exchanged or sacrificed, and large wooden dishes carried food, particularly the Nalot. A photograph taken by Reverend Paterson around 1915 shows the Blue Man at the entrance of the men's house in Sanakas, on the southeast coast of Malo. After Chief Kana Supé's death, the Blue Man was passed to his son and then to his half-brother. When the latter converted to Presbyterianism, he abandoned the men's house. In 1922, a young planter, Eugène Gardel, settled in Malo and acquired the land containing the abandoned village of Sanakas and the men's house. He was photographed with the Blue Man in 1929. The statue was then acquired by a lawyer from Port-Vila, who donated it to the Korrigane expedition for the Trocadéro Museum in 1935. In conclusion, we had believed the Blue Man to be a unique ambassador of Vanuatu, as stylistically, it holds a distinct place in the artistic corpus of these islands. The great surprise here is the discovery of a nalot dish with an anthropomorphic figure very similar to the Blue Man, most likely dating from the early 19th century or even earlier. We believe it could have been created by the same sculptor, or that the sculptor was familiar with the Blue Man. There are still avenues to explore in continuing the history of this dish and the art of this part of the world. In particular, the archives of Reverend Paterson, who photographed the men's house of Sanakas in 1915, should be further explored.