Spirit board "gope"
Papua New Guinea - Gulf
sold
EUR 3,000
Provenance
Gustav Koch, Milan, ItalyItalian Collection
Size
H: 88,5 cm
H: 34.8 inch
Description
wood, pigments,
Spirit boards were kept in the mens houses, where each family clan has its own niche.
The painting of the carved boards with red ochre confered “heat”, menace, or dangerous power “imunu” on these objects, and the addition of skulls, and age itself, increased “imunu”.
It was told that spirits of such boards would go into battle with men who whorshipped it - both protecting them and causing confusion amongst the enemy. Furtheron the magical powers still had relevance to successful hunting.