Gallery Label
Neckrests, which were used to keep complex hairstyles intact, were kept private and sacred to the owner because of their contact with the head, considered by Tongans to be a sacred region. Simply and elegantly carved from a single piece of wood, neckrests of this type were gently curved central pieces upon which to rest. A ridge is carved on the underside, and arching pairs of legs taper down to flat and circular feet.
Tonga lies at the southern end of the inner Polynesian triangle that includes Fiji and Samoa, both of which were culturally influenced by Tonga. Never colonized by a foreign power, Tonga retained a strict hierarchal but uniquely open social system. This included chiefly rule governed by complex genealogical and kinship relationships that were further solidified with beautifully crafted objects instilled with strong mana, or the powerful life force common in Polynesian cultural beliefs. This mana was found in neckrests because of their close personal contact with the head.
