Catalogues123 of 257
Click to enlargeSale 2 · Lot 30
John Mandjuwi Gurruwiwi
c.1935 – 1999
- Region
- Arnhem Land
- Community
- Ŋaypinya
- Language group
- Yolŋu (Yolngu) – Gälpu (Galpu) clan
Wurrkadi, 1996
170 x 72 cm
Est. $2,500 – $4,500
- Provenance
- Buku-Larrnggay Arts, Yirrkala, NT, Cat No. 1357u Private Collection, Albany NY 996 MAN, verso
- Artwork story
- In this bark, the artist has depicted stingrays associated with Wurrkadi (larvae of the Horned Beatle, grubs, maggots) in Galpu clan mythology. The Wurrkadi come out from the ground because they smell the yams or food and eat it. The grubs spit on the sand (shown by the white crosshatching) while the black circles, represent the bodies of the old, dead grubs and the coals from the fire where Yolngu (Aboriginal people of North-east Arnhem Land) sat around eating yams during the creation period. The dots around them represent the young grubs.