A Fine Old Australian Aboriginal Bark Painting From NE Arnhem Land Northern Territory

A Superb Old Australian Aboriginal Bark Painting From NE Arnhem Land Northern Territory. Circa 1975   

Djalga the Goanna coming out of the sacred water hole made by the creator Wuyal . This story refers also to important Dhuwa moiety ancestors called the Wawilak Sisters.

This beautiful older Bark Painting is from the Northeast Arnhem Land area of the Northern Territory of Australia. The Painting depicts Djalga the Goanna coming out of the sacred water hole made by the creator Being Wuyal and there is very fine Raark or cross-hatching

Cross-hatching called Raark is one of the most distinctive and beautiful features of Arnhem Land Bark Paintings Closely-spaced fine lines are drawn in particular colours, intersecting each other. The chosen colours may be specific to a particular clan, and the effect is difficult to describe but produces a deep impression on the viewer. Traditionally, the most sacred designs drawn on bodies during ceremonies were drawn with a quality called “bir’yun”, which is loosely translated as scintillation (as in the twinkling of stars) but carries a connotation of sunlight reflected off the sparkling water.

Indigenous Artists from the Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, use crushed earth ochre pigments to paint on sheets of eucalyptus bark, they paint beautiful spiritual images of deep cultural significance that show their spiritual connection with specific tracts of country

Arnhem Land Rock Art sites are some thousands of years old where ancient rock shelters were painted and maintained over generations, Arnhem Land is world-renowned for its Rock Art.

The designs seen on Arnhem Land Bark Paintings are traditional designs that are owned by the artist, or his “skin”, or his clan, and cannot be painted by other artists. In many cases, these designs would traditionally be used to paint the body for ceremonies or rituals, and also to decorate logs used in ceremonies. Artists also would paint designs on the bark walls and roofs of their shelters where stayed during seasonal food gathering.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic and Australian Aboriginal