Spirit board "gope"
Papua New Guinea - Gulf
Price
EUR 2,500
plus 27 % commission, VAT, transport and insurance
Provenance
collected in situ, Era River, Papuan Gulf (1978)Size
H: 102,5 cm
H: 40.4 inch
Description
wood, brown patina, black paint, white pigment, flat deepened fond, carved with a figure with raised contours, reduced ornamental decor, the lower end cut, slightly dam., paint rubbed off in some areas, small crack, water spots;
in his study entitled “The Art Styles of the Papuan Gulf”, Douglas Newton remarks that boys and young initiates own small unnamed “gope” boards that are hung in their cubicles for protection, to help growth and to ward off sickness.