Small spirit board "gope"

Description

wood, brown patina, red and white pigment, lancet-shaped, the face of an ancestor spirit in the centre, jagged pattern around rim, drilled hole for suspension, slightly dam., traces of insect caused damage, abrasion of paint, base;
such small unnamed “gope” boards belonged to boys and young initiates; they were hung in their cubicles for protection, to help growth and to ward off sickness. They lost their potency at initiation.

Comparing literature