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Ceremonial Artifact - Gopi (Gope) Board, #4081 $40.00

This elliptical shaped and brightly colored spirit board comes from the Purari Delta are of the Papuan Gulf region. The abstract pattern is unique to the various villages of the Purari Delta region. This gopi features a head, likely of an ancestor, at the top.

Gopis, which are still made and used by Gulf tribes, are ceremonial boards which are used during a young man’s initiation. The young man’s uncle hand carves the board and dances with it during his nephew’s initiation ceremony.

The boards are then traditionally used in the men’s house to guard clan areas and headhunting skull displays.

This gopi measures 20.5 inches tall and 3.75 inches wide.

 #4081 Gopi (Gope) Board, Purari Delta, Papuan Gulf region, Papua New Guinea

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New Guinea Tribal Art eGuide

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Find out about your fabulous piece of New Guinea tribal art. The eGuide provides quick info about New Guinea art and art areas with links to more information. The eGuide contains over 130 photographs and 10 maps, plus adventure photos from Ron Perry's forty years of explorations in New Guinea and additional research by Doug Mehaffey. A print edition would be 128 pages.

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