Goarabari Island Gope Board-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
The gope spirit boards from Goarabari Island in the Kerewa area are some of the most distinct in the Papuan Gulf. Featuring spindly figures surmounted by large oval faces with black widow’s peak above circular eyes within inverted orange triangles. This present one is a good solid older one with and aged backside a several old unidentified collection numbers written in chalk. The board comes from an upstate New York Collection, dates to pre-1930, is 59 ¾” (151.7 cm) in height.