Planche votive "gope" ·  Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée - Golfe · ID: 3049411

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.