Full details of each lot are displayed, except the lot number, estimate and price. You must be a subscriber to view lot numbers, estimates and prices.

Click here to view registration and subscription levels

Auction Location:
Sydney
Date:
4-May-2022
Lot No.
***
Description:
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, length 108 x 17 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, New South Wales
Estimate:
***
Price:
***
Category:
Tribal: New Guinean