Ancestor board "gope" ·  Papua New Guinea - Gulf · ID: 3034441

Description

light-coloured wood, red and white pigment, carved with ritual signs in raised contours, slightly dam., minor missing parts, traces of insect caused damage, paint rubbed off, stained backside;
belongs to the type of personal “gope” boards “obina ebiha”, which are owned by individuals. They represent named ancestors and are stored in the communal Men’s House. Young boys have small “gope” boards which are unnamed and which hang on the walls of their homes. They are supposed to help the boys grow towards the time of adulthood. They loose their potency at initiation. The most importand “gope” is the large “darimo ebiha”, of which one exists for each clan.