Très belle flèche faîtière, Kanak, Nouvelle-Calédonie

Collection Marc Eisenberg
Loudmer-Poulain S.C.P., Paris, 14 juin 1979, n° 37
Collection privée, Genève
Bernard Dulon, Paris

Wear consistent with age and use within the culture. Erosion and cracks to the wood, visible in the catalogue illustration, as a result of exposure to the elements.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

gomoa ou pwamabai, représentant un personnage dont les éléments constitutifs se superposent selon un axe vertical : un ovale plat représentant le ventre et le thorax, un arc aux pointes relevées figurant le cou et le menton, puis le visage aux traits puissants s'organisant autour d'un large nez.. Au-dessus, une riche chevelure sculptée en deux parties est stylisée en lignes horizontales, entrecoupées par la corde d'une fronde. Enfin, à l'extrémité, une nouvelle forme ovale représente la nuque. Bois clair, érodé, laissant apparaître la veinure du bois.
Strictement frontale, cette sculpture était placée au sommet de la grande case constituant l'élément central de la culture Kanak. A la mort du chef, la flèche était placée sur sa sépulture ou en un lieu mémorial de son clan. Les flèches faitières illustrent la puissance et le génie créatif des sculpteurs Kanak. Ainsi, selon Jean Guiart à propos d'une sculpture comparable pour représenter la tête ancestrale en sa totalité, le sculpteur, afin de ne pas l'amoindrir, en a déroulé les arrêtes et les surfaces depuis le menton jusqu'à la nuque (cf. Guiart, 1953 : 14). Celle-ci se distingue par son ancienneté et l'harmonie de ses proportions.

A very fine Kanak roof finial, New Caledonia

Gomoa or pwamabai, representing a human figure whose features are superimposed along a vertical axis – a flat oval represents the stomach and thorax, an arc with raised points depicts the neck and chin, whilst the powerful facial features are arranged around the broad nose. Above this the rich hair-style, carved in two parts, is covered in stylized horizontal lines which are intersected by the catapult cord which men worn across their forehead. Finally, another oval form represents the nape of the neck. The grain of the light coloured wood is clearly visible as a result of erosion.

Intended to be seen head-on this figure would have been placed on top of the chief's house, a central element of Kanak culture. At the death of a chief the finial would be placed upon his burial place or on his clan's monument. Roof finials illustrate the power and creative genius of Kanak artists. Discussing a comparable work, Jean Guiart notes that in order to represent the ancestral head in its entirety, and so as not to weaken the chief's power, the carver has made an effort to display all of the surfaces, from the chin to the nape of the neck (cf. Guiart, 1953: 14). The offered finial is distinguished by its age and by its harmonious proportions.