Ex Museum Morton May Papua New Guinea Gulf River Spirit Board Gope Tribal Art

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About the Item

Papuan Gulf ancestor spirit board, called Gope, early 20th century. Wood with natural pigments and charcoal. An intriguing spirit carving, with good provenance. 1963 is a relatively early date for Papuan art to enter an American collection. Provenance: Morton D. May, gifted to the Denver Art Museum in 1963. Accession #1962.476 recorded on back (see images). The Denver Art Museum does not actively collect or display Oceanic tribal art and the museum deaccessioned much of their Oceanic tribal art a few years ago. This board carving is a highly abstract figure with head at top and little legs and penis depicted in the lower section. The whole body is covered with circles and spirals, like water swirling in river currents and eddies; the river is such a big part of life in Papua New Guinea. Morton D, May is probably not as familiar a provenance as Carlebach, but he was an important, early collector in the US, mainly of German Expressionist art and ethnographic art. He bought from Carlebach. About May From Wikipedia: "He regarded his "primitive" collection as an extension of his interest in Expressionist art. He found in both areas vitality and enormous expressiveness. In 1960 May visited the Carlebach gallery in New York. He detailed his experience in an introduction to a catalogue for a show of his collection at the Saint Louis Art Museum. "I happened to visit the Carlebach Gallery in New York and found it full of beautifully carved objects, which were strong, expressive, and aesthetically satisfying. It was as though a whole new world of art had opened to me, and I became convinced that art from the Melanesian islands was of the highest quality and should be ranked with that of the other great art producing areas of the world. During that time period, there wasn't much of a market for Melanesian Art, so what he considered to be authentic ritual pieces (pieces from before European contact) were available at low prices." May was the largest contributor of ethnographic art to the Denver Art Museum and other Mid-Western museums. Additional info on Gope boards. They represent the spirits of ancestral heroes that protect clans from evil spirits and death. They were often made from the sides of an old canoe (as is probable with this one). Gope boards were also used in raids on other clans and headhunting missions. They are consulted as to which enemy to attack, and the spirits contained in the boards are thought to go in advance of the warriors to sap the enemies of their strength. 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 white pigment derived from sea shells (lime), red ochre derived from clay, and black from charcoal.

Dimensions:
Height: 48 in (121.92 cm)Width: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Paint,Wood,Hand-Carved,Hand-Painted
Period:
Early 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Early 20th Century
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor scuffs and scrapes.
Seller Location:
Santa Fe, NM
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5242219159212

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