Gope Board - Papuan Gulf

Baimuru Village - Papuan Gulf - Urama Clan

Ancestral Ceremonial Board - "Gope"

Each clan has his own design on Gope. Used in Men-Houses, for various cermonies

Dimensions: 43" H x 13" W x 1" D

"Gope sculptures are believed to protect the island clansmen from evil spirits and death^[4] A full size board is made and named by the uncle of a boy for his initiation (into adulthood) ceremony. Also, warriors are awarded gope boards for each act of bravery they perform in battle—these boards are often made from the remains of an enemy's canoe. Gope boards have a consistent elliptical shape and can vary in size up to eight feet long. They are carved in relief and then painted with lime (to whiten), red ochre, and other native paints. Gope boards have a similar style and may depict the face of an ancestral spirit. Small unnamed gope boards are sometimes given to uninitiated boys."