Two Possums, 1965

natural earth pigments on bark

68 x 32 cm

$1,500

Provenance: Painted at Yirrkala, North East Arnhem Land, NT,  Yirrkala Aboriginal Art, NT Private Collection, NT Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, NSW
Artwork story: Narritjin Maymuru was born in in Manggalili country, between Caledon Bay and Blue Mud Bay, on the western shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria. In this area he lived until his twenties when he travelled north to Yirrkala, to the newly established mission there. Until then, he led a fully tribal life, knowing no other law than the ‘old law’, and hunting with his relatives using traditional stone tipped spear and woomera. He was a great warrior and in 1932 was involved in the massacre of the Japanese pearlers at Caledon Bay. This painting relates to the Dreaming in which the night bird Guwark became lonely and set out to find his friend Marrngu, the Opossum. During the day he found him in several places but Marrngu would not talk to him because it was daylight. At Djarrakpi in the moonlight he saw the sacred tree on the cliff. As he was very tired, it was with great relief that he landed in the top of the tree and noticed the Gunyan Crabs playing in the sand at the foot of the cliff, running from their holes through parallel lines of foam left by the ebbing tide. He heard a noise and realised Marrngu was inside the hollow tree. He then sent Ngirr Ngirr, the Cicada, down the tree with a message to Marrngu who came up the tree to Guwark and they spent there night talking about sacred places of the Manggalili.

Stockroom

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Narritjin Maymuru

c.1916 – 1981

Region: Arnhem Land
Community: Djarrakpi
Language group: Yolŋu (Yolngu) – Maŋgalili (Manggalili)

Two Possums, 1965

natural earth pigments on bark

68 x 32 cm

$1,500

Provenance: Painted at Yirrkala, North East Arnhem Land, NT,  Yirrkala Aboriginal Art, NT Private Collection, NT Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, NSW
Artwork story: Narritjin Maymuru was born in in Manggalili country, between Caledon Bay and Blue Mud Bay, on the western shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria. In this area he lived until his twenties when he travelled north to Yirrkala, to the newly established mission there. Until then, he led a fully tribal life, knowing no other law than the ‘old law’, and hunting with his relatives using traditional stone tipped spear and woomera. He was a great warrior and in 1932 was involved in the massacre of the Japanese pearlers at Caledon Bay. This painting relates to the Dreaming in which the night bird Guwark became lonely and set out to find his friend Marrngu, the Opossum. During the day he found him in several places but Marrngu would not talk to him because it was daylight. At Djarrakpi in the moonlight he saw the sacred tree on the cliff. As he was very tired, it was with great relief that he landed in the top of the tree and noticed the Gunyan Crabs playing in the sand at the foot of the cliff, running from their holes through parallel lines of foam left by the ebbing tide. He heard a noise and realised Marrngu was inside the hollow tree. He then sent Ngirr Ngirr, the Cicada, down the tree with a message to Marrngu who came up the tree to Guwark and they spent there night talking about sacred places of the Manggalili.