Spirit board "gope"

wood, brown patina, black paint, white pigment, flat deepened fond, carved with a figure with raised contours, reduced ornamental decor, the lower end cut, slightly dam., paint rubbed off in some areas, small crack, water spots;
in his study entitled "The Art Styles of the Papuan Gulf", Douglas Newton remarks that boys and young initiates own small unnamed "gope" boards that are hung in their cubicles for protection, to help growth and to ward off sickness.