Unknown artist

Gope Board

Gope Board by Unknown artist

Artwork Detail

Gope, kwoi and hohao are all terms for the ancestor boards that are made around the northern Papuan gulf. It is considered that this spirit board was made by the Kerewa people of Goaribari Island.

The pair of eyes are under a widow’s peak design that leads down to the navel at the base of the carving. A feature of this area’s art is that the ancestor’s face is often the predominant subject. (Te Moananui a Kiwa, 2005)

Title
Gope Board
Artist/creator
Unknown artist
Production date
Unknown
Medium
wood, pigment
Dimensions
1040 x 215 mm
Credit line
Chartwell Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 1987
Accession no
C1994/1/237
Copyright
Copying restrictions apply
Department
International Art
Display status
Not on display

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