Lot 91

Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, Northern Territory (accompanied by a copy of the certificate of authenticity)
Aboriginal Arts Board, Australia Council, Sydney
The Kelton Collection, America, acquired from the above
Private collection, Switzerland
Private collection, Melbourne

Past and Present Art of the Australian Aborigines, from The Kelton Foundation Collection, Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, California, 24 September 1980 - 4 January 1981
Dreamtime: Art of the Australian Aborigine, Pt. 1 Land and Tradition, California State University, Northridge, California, 12 September - 14 October 1988
Abstract Reality: Australian Dreamtime Art, Modern Museum of Art, Santa Ana, California, 17 January - 16 April 1989
The Evolving Dreamtime: Contemporary Art by Indigenous Australians-Part I, Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, California, 3 August 1994 - 22 January 1995

"The Mythological travels of a group of Tingari Men to the lake site Kampangutjanganynga far, far to the west of Alice Springs are celebrated in this depiction. The Tingari is a mytho-ritual complex or series of traditions of deep religious significance. They are widely distributed through the Western Desert and are basically secret-sacred. For this reason, details relating to Tingari myths, songs and rituals may not be publicly revealed.

Generally, the Tingari are a group of mythical characters of moving from waterhole to waterhole. Usually followed by a group of Tingari women and accompanied by novices, Tingari sites, as well as providing explanations for contemporary custom. Their travels and adventures are enshrined in a number of song-cycles, some with hundreds of verses. While the Tingari complex is linked to other desert rituals, it has its own unique character. However, its content suggests that it is associated with the widespread fertility rituals found further north."

As stated on a copy of the Papunya Tula Artists certificate of authenticity

© Freddy West Tjakamarra/Copyright Agency, 2025