Lot 97

The Artist
Jirrawun Arts, Western Australia
William Mora Galleries, Melbourne (stamp on stretcher bar verso)
Private collection, Melbourne

New art from the Kimberley, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, 1999

© Phyllis Thomas/Copyright Agency 2024

This picture shows Barndel - the sun rising above Joomooloony - a boab tree at a place near Crocodile Hole. The boab tree watches as the sun climbs over the horizon and stands high in the sky. The place where this tree stands belongs to Biyik-biyikkel the Noisy Miner Bird. This bird calls out to warn kangaroos when hunters are trying to catch them. Boab trees are a very important food source for Gija people. The small seeds are extracted from the large nuts, cracked open with a hammer stone on a flat rock, ground and cooked in little cakes. The white pith surrounding the seeds is soaked in water and eaten with honey. This pith tastes a bit like stewed apples. The roots of baby plants are sweet and crisp. Very large old trees such as the one in the picture belong to the Ngarranggarni - the dreamtime.