Provenance
The Artist, created at Milingimbi, East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory
Milingimbi Methodist Mission, Northern Territory
Private Collection, Melbourne
Important Aboriginal & Oceanic Art, Deutscher and Hackett, Melbourne, 27 March 2013, lot 25
The Martin Rae Collection, New York, acquired from the above
Milingimbi Methodist Mission, Northern Territory
Private Collection, Melbourne
Important Aboriginal & Oceanic Art, Deutscher and Hackett, Melbourne, 27 March 2013, lot 25
The Martin Rae Collection, New York, acquired from the above
Description
This remarkable figure represents Murayana, a Wild Honey Spirit that bears Gupapuyŋu clan designs belonging to the artist. During the Waŋarr (ancestral period), Murayana created the sacred songs, dances and designs for niwuda, the wild honey of the Yirritja moiety. The painted diamond shapes represent the honeycomb structure of a beehive filled with honey. The white vertical dots indicate the native wild bee. Murayana’s triangular shaped head features a similarly shaped mouth and relief carved eyes that protrude from his face. The distinct body shape with a curved front and ‘notched’ lower hips was believed to have been developed by Lipundja.