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An-gujechiya (Fish Trap)

To make fish traps and fish net fences artists firstly get vine (mirlarl) from the jungle and they put it in water for one night to make it soft. Next they start weaving it; they make rings for the inside to keep the fish trap’s shape. Artists work for three or four weeks on the fish trap. They also make string from kurrajong (burdaga) to attach the hibiscus (bardainy) rings and to tie the conical end of the fish trap. This fish trap is used in saltwater and freshwater. People also use fish net fences called mun-dirra. A long time ago they would put the mun-dirra across rivers and creeks. In the middle they would place the an-gujechiya. They also used small things like sticks, rocks, mud and grass to block the fish from going through. People would then catch fish like saltwater barramundi rajarra, freshwater barramundi (janambal), small black freshwater catfish (buliya), bonefish (an-guwirrpiya), and sand bass (dalakan) in these fish traps.

Name: Matilda Pascoe


Language: Burarra (Martay)



Biography:

Matilda Pascoe is a sculptor and bark painter and member of the Warrawarra clan whose lands lie on Burarra country to the east of the Blyth River. She depicts spirit beings, plants and animals for which she is custodian (Traditional Owner), including Warraburnburn ('ghost'sds spirit), baru (crocodile), jarlambu (catfish), gorraporda  (cormorant) and banaka (digging stick). She is most renowned for her bold, large-scale, warraburburn carvings, a 'supertall' jarra an-baykarda 'ghost’ figure that lives in patches of jungle surrounding her homeland Gamurra Gu-yurra. She learned under the guidance of her late husband Jimmy An-gunguna, an important bark painter and sculptor whose works were included in Metamorphosis at the Venice Biennale in 1997. 

 


© the artist / art centre