Small spirit board "gope"
Papua New Guinea - Golf, Elema
n'est plus disponible
Provenance
Michael Hamson, Palos Verdes, California, USARichard Aldridge, Perth, Australia
Taille
H: 39,5 cm
H: 15.6 inch
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.