Provenance
Elcho Island Art & Craft, Northern Territory, cat. no. 23/3714/NUP
Cooee Aboriginal Art, Sydney
The Estate of Grant Smith, Melbourne
Exhibited
Literature
Description
This is a dhuwa (moiety) pole for dhuwa clans.
It is from my father's side.
We use it for a memory ceremony, (usually around one year after the death os the person) for dhuwa, only for men's business. It sends the spirit to the star (the Banumbirr star - known as Venus).
The flower's are the mokuy's (spirit of the deceased) nahta (food) - ginger, wild fruit. The ones on string are the ripe nahta, the others are not ready to eat.
The white feathers (going around the pole) is the start of the travel, to call the clans from Ngaymil, Ramingining, Djapu, Rorruwy. The red (orange) one has arrived at all the clans.
The bush string wrapped around the pole - the different places Banumbirr travels to. White is the rising of the star. Orange (yellow) is when it is there and this black (brown) is when it is back home again and put in the bag.
array(2) {
[0]=>
int(1204)
[1]=>
int(1205)
}