Niwuda - Wild Honey Totem, 1992

natural earth pigments on bark

60 x 117cm

$1,800

Secure payment via Stripe. Prices in AUD.

Provenance: Bula Bula Arts, Ramingining, NT, Cat No. D1953/GA11 Private Collection Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, NSW
Exhibited: Bark Paintings 1930-2000, Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, NSW, July 2011
Artwork story: The people of Central Arnhemland are people of the trees. The yolngu word for bushland, ‘diltji’, means backbone characterising the forest as the frame that supports life. The forest is a place rich in foods and in August September each year when the eucalypt trees flower the native honey is collected. This painting shows the totems and body paint design from the Yirritja Narra Birrkulda ceremony (age grading ceremony). The totems represent the hollow tree which is shown as the longitudinal section to indicate a hive of wild bee honey. The diamond indicates the wax honey and larvae of the bees. At the top of the totem is shown the hole through which the bees enter the log.

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natural earth pigments on bark

60 x 117cm

$1,800

Secure payment via Stripe. Prices in AUD.

Provenance: Bula Bula Arts, Ramingining, NT, Cat No. D1953/GA11 Private Collection Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, NSW
Exhibited: Bark Paintings 1930-2000, Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, NSW, July 2011
Artwork story: The people of Central Arnhemland are people of the trees. The yolngu word for bushland, ‘diltji’, means backbone characterising the forest as the frame that supports life. The forest is a place rich in foods and in August September each year when the eucalypt trees flower the native honey is collected. This painting shows the totems and body paint design from the Yirritja Narra Birrkulda ceremony (age grading ceremony). The totems represent the hollow tree which is shown as the longitudinal section to indicate a hive of wild bee honey. The diamond indicates the wax honey and larvae of the bees. At the top of the totem is shown the hole through which the bees enter the log.