Kanak Janiform Roof Finial, New Caledonia

Private Collection, New York
Sotheby's, New York, November 11, 2004, lot 23, consigned by the above
American Private Collection, acquired at the above auction

Weathered condition consistent with age and exposure, as expected with Kanak architectural sculpture, and as shown in catalogue illustration. Fine vertical age cracks throughout. Old losses to points on both edges, some with remains of old glue from previous restorations. A diagonal cut one-third of the way up the post has been pinned and glued, with seam visible. Losses to high points of relief carving on one side. Fine dry weathered and worn surface.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Kanak societies were ruled by hereditary chiefs who embodied both secular, political power and the sacred power of the ancestors. The house of the chief was both the physical and metaphorical center of the village, and its towering conical roof would have been crowned with a roof finial which symbolically alludes to the role of the chief.

According to Boulay, roof finials developed from trespass or taboo markers. These markers were ‘signs of the power which comes from the ancestors’ (Kasarhérou & Boulay, Kanak. L’art est une parole, 2013, p. 106), and were used to demarcate cultural boundaries. Boulay convincingly illustrates how the markers, composed of bundles of straw tied to poles, gradually evolved into the characteristic geometric and anthropomorphic forms of the roof finials (ibid., pp. 108-109, 112-113). Like the trespass markers, roof finials ‘indicated that one was entering a highly culturally charged area’ (ibid.). Since the chief’s house was to be approached only from the front, roof finials generally have only one ancestor face. Here however the addorsed faces of two ancestor spirits look out over the community.