Tunga, c.2010

natural earth pigments on bark basket

62 x 46 cm

$900

Provenance: Tiwi Designs, Wurimiyanga, Bathurst Island, NT
Artwork story: A tunga is a traditional bark container made by artists from the Tiwi Islands. Constructed from a single sheet of stringybark, the bark is carefully cut, heated, and shaped into a cylindrical form, then sewn with bush fibres and secured with natural resins. Traditionally, tungas were used to carry personal belongings, tools, food, and ceremonial items, and in some clan groups they functioned as important mortuary containers. Their forms and painted designs often reflect the maker’s clan identity and ancestral narratives. Today, tungas remain valued cultural objects, linking everyday practice with deep ceremonial knowledge and the traditions passed down through generations.

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natural earth pigments on bark basket

62 x 46 cm

$900

Provenance: Tiwi Designs, Wurimiyanga, Bathurst Island, NT
Artwork story: A tunga is a traditional bark container made by artists from the Tiwi Islands. Constructed from a single sheet of stringybark, the bark is carefully cut, heated, and shaped into a cylindrical form, then sewn with bush fibres and secured with natural resins. Traditionally, tungas were used to carry personal belongings, tools, food, and ceremonial items, and in some clan groups they functioned as important mortuary containers. Their forms and painted designs often reflect the maker’s clan identity and ancestral narratives. Today, tungas remain valued cultural objects, linking everyday practice with deep ceremonial knowledge and the traditions passed down through generations.