Pudjamali Don Hocking was part of an extended family group based at Paru on the southern coast of Melville Island. Here, artists worked independently of the mission at nearby Milikapiti on Bathurst Island. Pudjamali was one of several artists sought after by collectors for his rare, expressive carved figures. He is known to have produced a small number of barks, many of which feature figurative depictions of Tiwi ancestral beings.
Although not recorded, it is likely that this figure is female, due to the presence of carved breasts. This suggests the possibility that the sculpture is a three-dimensional manifestation of the ancestral figure of Bima (or Wai-ai). The head of Pudjamali’s figure is out of proportion with its smaller body. Unlike other extant figures created by Pudjamali, this example wears a white painted loin cloth.