Papuan Gulf Gope Boards, New Guinea Oceanic Art

Known as spirit boards, gope boards, Kwoi, from Elema area, Purari Delta, Gorabari Island. Museum-quality examples as selected by Michael Hamson Oceanic Art.

98 Pins

13h

Michael Hamson Oceanic Art

Papuan Gulf Bioma Figure Fragment Collected by George Craig, ex. Marc Seidler Collection

Here is a sweet little Papuan Gulf bioma figure fragment I acquired on a buying trip to Pennsylvania a couple of weeks ago. It is one collected by the recently deceased George Craig, a legend in the Papuan Gulf as the nicest fellow and a bad-ass crocodile hunter. Maybe some of you saw in the news the death of the largest crocodile in captivity a few weeks ago—Cassisus. I am attaching a photo of Craig wrangling the massive reptile. The present bioma reminded me of another small fragment that I bought off Craig at his Marineland Melanesia Museum on Green Island. One that Thomas Schultze-Westrum had photographed in the field back in 1966 with red paint—see attached photo. Bioma with their often attenuated limbs are fragile in structure but powerful in intent.

an ancient object is displayed on a black background

Ancient gope board comes from the Era River area of the Papuan Gulf

This ancient gope board comes from the Era River area of the Papuan Gulf. Like all old gope boards the carving is done in high relief. The piece has some weather erosion but is strong and stable. The reverse has an old, aged, dark brown patina from generations of field use. The piece is 40” in height.

an ancient carved object is displayed on a black background, with the head of a monkey

Papuan Gulf Gope Board, Elema Culture-Hohao-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art

The “hohao” spirit boards from the Elema culture of the eastern Papuan Gulf are recognizable for their striking star-shaped eyes. The proximity of this area to Port Moresby made it one of the most early contacted, 1880s, and subsequently missionized. As such, most of the spirit boards from this region date to the late 19th century—notwithstanding the revival boards made in the 1960s. The present one is unusual for the small head coming off the top. It dates to the late 19th century.

an intricately carved wooden object on a metal stand with a black background and grey backdrop

Dance Art

Metropolitan Museum Of Art

Metropolitan Museum

Papua New Guinea

Museum Of Art

Papuan Gulf Spirit Board, Turama River, ex. Harry Franklin, Parcours des Mondes 2022, Oceanic Art

Papuan Gulf Spirit Board Turama River, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea Harry A. Franklin, Beverly Hills Published: Coaxing the Spirits to Dance: Art and Society in the Papuan Gulf of New Guinea, ed. Robert Welsch, 2006 Exhibited: Coaxing the Spirits to Dance: Art and Society in the Papuan Gulf of New Guinea, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, October 24, 2006–September 2, 2007

a wooden mask with red and black designs on it's face is standing in front of a gray background

Guitar Pick

The South

For Sale

Small Papuan Gulf Gope Board, Goaribari Island, New Guinea Art, Oceanic Art

This fine and old gope board from the Kerewa area of the Papuan Gulf is unusual for its small size. The piece is carved from a dense hardwood and has a very nice, dark brown patina on the reverse. The gope is 17” in height. New Guinea Art Oceanic Art

Old Papuan Gulf Bioma Fragment Collected by Crocodile Hunter George Craig Early 1960s New Guinea Art

This fragment is from a Papuan Gulf bioma figure. It was collected by George Craig in the early 1960s. The wood is light and somewhat desiccated. There is an old native repair near the neck. The piece is 22 ½” in height.

an african mask is displayed on a black background

Canoes

Curved Back

Kerewa Gope Spirit Board, 1930s, Collected by George Craig early 1960s, New Guinea Art, Oceanic Art

This powerful gope board comes from the Kerewa area of the Papuan Gulf. The piece was collected by George Craig in the early 1960s and has a great curved back as early gope boards were often carved from the side of old canoes. The gope is 54” in height. New Guinea Art Oceanic Art

a wooden mask with an elaborate design on it

South Seas

Lion Sculpture

Wapo Creek Gope Spirit Board Collected By George Craig in early 1960s, New Guinea Art, Oceanic Art

This striking gope board probably comes from the Wapo Creek area of the Papuan Gulf. This example is carved from a dense hardwood, obviously from the side of an old canoe and was collected in the early 1960s by George Craig. The gope has a nice raised nose, good strong remains of pigments, is 49” in height

a carved wooden object with an eye on it

Sacred Art

Surfboard

Papuan Gulf Gope Spirit Board, 1930s, New Guinea Art, Oceanic Tribal Art

an ancient object is displayed on a stand

Abc

Ancient Papuan Gulf Gope Spirit Board Fragment Collected By George Craig in 1950s, New Guinea Art

Related searches

Nice Old Papuan Gulf Spirit Board Collected By Crocodile Hunter George Craig 1950s, New Guinea Art

an old wooden object with carvings on it

Art Art

Dates

Pencil

Small Papuan Gulf Gope Board, Wapo Creek, Thomas Schultze-Westrum Collection, New Guinea Oceanic Art

This is a small but very old Papuan Gulf gope board collected by Thomas Schultze Westrom in 1966 (his inventory number written in faint pencil is on the reverse). This gope probably comes from the Wapo Creek area and has a nicely composed ancestral figure carved in relief. I especially like the deeply cut nostrils. The piece has an aged patina, dates to the 1920s and is 23” in height. New Guinea Art Oceanic Art Art of the Papuan Gulf

an old wooden mask on a stand with a gray back ground and light grey wall in the background

White

Small Papuan Gulf Gope Spirit Board Collected By Thomas-Schultze-Westrum in 1966, New Guinea Art

This is a small and fine Papuan Gulf gope board collected by Thomas Schultze Westrum in 1966. It has an ancestral design carved in relief and in-filled with white lime. The board is 19 ½” in height and dates to the 1930s. New Guinea Art Oceanic Art

an old wooden object is sitting on a black stand with a white background and gray back ground

Melbourne

Art Inspiration

Sculpture

Rare & Old Turama River Gope Spirit Board, 1930s, New Guinea Art, Oceanic Art

This is a very fine gope board from the western Papuan Gulf area near the Turama River. This is a remote area of the Papuan Gulf where only a small percentage of gope boards originate. And this is an especially fine example that combines the traditional abstraction found on other boards with a strong ancestral face at the top. The piece exhibits both good age and nice softened remains of traditional pigments. The board comes from a private Melbourne collection, dates to the 1930s. Oceanic Art

an old carved wooden object with designs on it's face and neck, standing upright against a gray background

Face Carving

Early 20th Century

20th Century

Old Papuan Gulf Gope Board, Kerewa Culture, Early 20th Century, New Guinea Art, Oceanic Art

This old gope board comes from the Kerewa area of the Papuan Gulf. The piece is an old one with a striking ancestral face carved in relief and an unusual spade-shaped base. The gope has a slight twist to its already curved form and comes from the collection of Elizabeth Pryce. Before that the gope was sold at Sotheby’s Australia. The gope dates to the early 20th century and is 44 ½” in height. New Guinea Art Oceanic Art

Papuan Gulf Gope Boards, New Guinea Oceanic Art

Known as spirit boards, gope boards, Kwoi, from Elema area, Purari Delta, Gorabari Island. Museum-quality examples as selected by Michael Hamson Oceanic Art.

98 Pins

13h

Michael Hamson Oceanic Art