A gope board (or ''kwoi'') is a wooden ritual object made in the

Papuan Gulf The Gulf of Papua is located in the southern coast region of New Guinea. It has a total surface area of . Geography Some of New Guinea's largest rivers, such as the Fly River, Turama River, Kikori River, Purari River, and Wawoi River flow ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

. Each board represents the spirit of an ancestral hero that can protect clans from evil spirits and death.

Design

''Gope'' is a term for a spiritually charged carved board made to represent an ancestral hero in the

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. Papuan Gulf people of

Kikori Kikori is a small town in the Gulf Province of Papua New Guinea. Kikori lies in the delta of the Kikori River at the head of the Gulf of Papua. This area is particularly biologically rich with a diversity of ecosystems and densely forested, wit ...

, Baimaru, Uruma, Hohao, and Orokolo refer to these sculptured boards as ''Kwoi''. The sculptures are often made from the sides of an old canoe.

Use

Gope sculptures are believed to protect the island clansmen from evil spirits and death A full size board is made and named by the uncle of a boy for his initiation (into adulthood) ceremony. Also, warriors are awarded gope boards for each act of bravery they perform in battle—these boards are often made from the remains of an enemy's canoe. 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 lime (to whiten), red ochre, and other native paints. Gope boards have a similar style and may depict the face of an ancestral spirit. Small unnamed gope boards are sometimes given to uninitiated boys.

In headhunting

Gope boards are also used in raids on other clans and

headhunting Headhunting is the practice of hunting a human and collecting the severed head after killing the victim, although sometimes more portable body parts (such as ear, nose or scalp) are taken instead as trophies. Headhunting was practiced in h ...

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. ''Agiba'' (or "skull racks") are similar to Gope boards and are used to display any skulls won in battle.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Papuan Gulf Map
- Information about Papuan Gulf culture.

- View various Gope Boards (

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

). Religious objects Religion in Papua New Guinea Headhunting in New Guinea Arts in Papua New Guinea Oceanian sculpture Wooden sculptures Tribal art