Spirit board "gope" ·  Papua New Guinea, Uruma island · ID: 3040686

Description

wood, greyish brown patina, heart-shaped face of a spirit being in the centre, enclosed by ornaments in flat relief, drilled holes on either side, surface structure strongly marked by weathering and insect caused damage, missing parts, cracks, cut tip;
there has been some question as to what the boards actually represent - ancestor spirits or spirits of the bush. There are also lots of insights into the use and significance of the spirit boards. An Orokolo native himself stated that the principal function of a “gope” was to receive the magical “charge” of an ancestral spirit. 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. In any case they had a protective function.