Fijian Neckrest Dream Piece #27 Fijian NeckrestSotheby’s NYNov. 11 2005, lot 18$102,000 One of the most important characteristics of great artists throughout history is their ability to smash expectations and, in the process, redefine art. Sure, some artists achieve renown by mastering a particular genre, but our true love is reserved for those rare creative geniuses that punch our expectations in the face causing shock, sometimes disdain and ultimately admiration. Nowadays this process has become ever harder to achieve. As an art collector you have to love the internet. You have literally thousands of objects at your fingertips 24 hours a day. However, the downside to this unlimited accessibility is a visual numbness, an almost impenetrable force field that builds up to combat the barrage of visual stimuli hitting our eyes, making it nearly impossible for something to reach our heart and soul. Thus, the growing premium put on objects that have that aesthetic power to snap collectors out of their optical delirium. Such as the present 18th century Fijian neckrest whose astonishing plumpness predates Fernando Botero’s overinflated figures by more than 150 years. The carver of this neckrest audaciously explodes the traditional canon to give us legs that are both comical and voluptuous, sturdy and graceful and utterly brilliant. Even the seemingly routine cylindrical neck support is slyly elegant. The hardwood crossbar tapers ever so slightly at the ends which seen from the side show recessed internal rings that mimic the bamboo section used on some neckrests. Such details reveal the hand of a master, playfully twisting expectations, making something that is often ordinary into something remarkable. To provide cultural context for this masterpiece I was planning on researching the significance of neckrests in 18th century Fiji and so I started with the Sotheby’s catalog of 2005 and there discovered Julian Harding’s wonderful essay. He provides several concise and relevant historical accounts on the importance of hairstyles for Fijian chiefs, such as having personal barbers spending hours each morning preparing the coiffure which could be colored “jet black, blue black, ashy white and several shades of red.” These hairdos could be of immense size noting one that measured 62” in circumference (which I’d like to point out is as big around as a large automobile tire…). Harding notes the essentialness of keeping the hair elevated while sleeping and thus the prevalence of elegant neckrests, called “kali.” He of course points out how this particular masterpiece is in a class of its own and made the wonderful observation that “the sculptor has achieved an uncanny effect of animation…when placed on a table in front of us the neckrest seems to be on the point of marching towards us.” Harding’s early historical contextualization combined with his astute aesthetic observations are a masterclass in Oceanic art description. I encourage everyone to read his full essay here. What I wanted to add was why I think this amazing neckrest would be even more desirable today than it was back in 2005 when it sold for $102,000 at Sotheby’s New York. The market’s desire for the truly exceptional has only increased in the last two decades. The neckrest’s combination of whimsical exaggeration and elegance make for a truly unforgettable object that would surely ignite an intense battle on the auction room phone lines.
