Lot O5 - Gulf Province Gope Board

Gope Board (Spirit Board)

Papua Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea
Mid-20th century
Height: 98 cm

Carved wooden ancestral spirit board (gope) from the Papua Gulf region. The elongated canoe-shaped form is decorated with bold geometric relief motifs in white and red ochre pigments, centered by a stylized anthropomorphic face.

Gope boards were hung inside men’s ceremonial longhouses and were believed to embody protective ancestral spirits. They played an important role in ritual life and warfare, serving as spiritual guardians of the community.

Good condition with age-related wear and pigment loss consistent with period.