$140
GOPE ANCESTRAL BOARD, PAPUAN GULF, PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Carved and engraved wood and natural pigments. Ritual boards represent spirits which protect clans from sickness, evil spirits, and death. Also, warriors are awarded gope boards for each act of bravery they perform in battle (often made out of the enemies canoe).These gope boards vary in size, but can be up to six feet long and have a consistent elliptical shape.They are carved in relief and then painted with lime(white) and red ochre and other native paints. Most gope boards have a similar style and depict the face of an ancestral spirit. Approx L108 x 17cm. PROVENANCE Private collection, New South Wales
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