Ex Museum Papua New Guinea Tribal Gope Spirit Board, Early 20th Century

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Ex Museum Papua New Guinea Tribal Gope Spirit Board, Early 20th Century

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 #1962.477 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 lively, Expressionist art dancing figure with arms spread out to sides, large head and eyes with grinning mouth. A unique head of a long-nosed creature under and between the dancing legs. The edges in a wave pattern can also be interpreted as shark fins, or the spines on the back of a crocodile, an important clan TOTEM for the native peoples of Papua New Guinea. Morton D, May is probably not as familiar to serious collectors 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: 41.75 in (106.05 cm)Width: 10 in (25.4 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
Style:
Expressionist (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Clay,Organic Material,Wood,Carved,Painted
Place of Origin:
Papua New Guinea
Period:
Early 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Early 20th Century
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Surface with some scuffs, paint loss as usual, otherwise in good condition, appropriate for age, origin, and mediums.
Seller Location:
Santa Fe, NM
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5242218974602