Spirit Board (gope)

This abstracted figure, carved in relief and painted on an ovoid board, is just one example of the immense visual variety demonstrated by "gope" (spirit boards) from the Papuan Gulf. While their differences correspond to the specific spirit represented and reveal a range of regional styles, certain elements are always present. The navel, for example, emphasizes the site of transmission and origin of life. Each figure represents a particular forest or river spirit as it appeared in a sculptor’s dream. Each gope belongs to its own clan, who install them in the ceremonial men’s house within interior alcoves that display the most sacred clan objects.