Bathi (Pandanus Basket)
Bathi are woven from the split leaves of the Screw Palm (Pandanus Spiralis). Coil weaving was introduced to Arnhem Land in the 1930s. It was adapted from techniques used by Indigenous women throughout South East Australia.
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Woven Mat
Traditionally, Nganiyal (conical mats) were used as an insect screen when erected, and as a sitting mat when folded. They are used in Ceremony as well as a functional item.
Nowadays, artists weave many different shapes including flat, round and oblong.
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Sword fish
Billy paints stories from his Dhuwa homeland in north east Arnhem Land. Stories are passed on either paternally or maternally, and Billy would have learnt these stories from his ancestors. The cross-hatching style (Rrark) is a traditional painting style of this area and can represent elements such as water, air and wind. His paintings often feature totemic animals of the fresh waters of north east Arnhem Land.
When Billy was a little boy his dad used to go out on the waters around Millingimbi in a canoe to catch swordfish with a spear. Billy says “They are the biggest out that way!” His dad would catch them and bring them back to camp for the whole family.
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Bawáliba (Stone Country Mimih)
‘Bawáliba is the djang (Dreaming) of my mother and my uncles. They are good spirits, they protect us and they recognise families. They are really tall- just like human beings, like us. They dance late at night and have a lot of hair.
In olden times, long long long time ago Bawáliba were here, before people were on the land. Bawáliba used to go out hunting and care for country. They hunt carrying fish traps and digging sticks, near the homeland Djinkarr. They go out hunting on the floodplains with dilly bags and digging sticks. They collect a lot of bush foods, and sleep together with one bark shelter.
Sometimes now they still come alive when we sleep, they might come to our houses and peep through the window. At night, they cover themselves with white clay and red cloth tied around their waist. If we hear them, we jump out of bed and get up to look -but they have disappeared, they’re just too quick. Bawáliba might knock on the window to remind us they are there looking out for us.If you listen deeply you can hear them whisper, sometimes they talk about us and might say, ‘why are those people making camp here?’ then they realise ‘Oh they are family from here, it’s ok, they are just sleeping here for the night’.
During the day they always turn into stone and they sleep. We still know that green rock covered in moss near Djinkarr, that’s Bawáliba sleeping.
Some of my ancestors used to speak the same language as the Bawaliba, but all those old people are passed away now. It’s a little bit sad for us, because no one now can speak that Bawaliba language anymore.’ Lucy Yarawanga 2019
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Kundayarr (lino tile)
The first tile has different types of kunmadj (dillybag) and marebu (floormat) made with Kundayarr (Pandanus).
‘There are two djerr (dilly bags), one basket, two marebu (floormats) and one kunmadj in this tile. This is how we carry and collect our bush tucker. This basket in the middle with two handles is made with the coil technique. This is a strong basket for clothes, swag, manburrba (clothing, cloth). We use the floormat to sleep on the ground or carry baby. This is from our old peoples time.
The other tile is kundayarr – pandanus tree and small billabongs with mud and water and grasses. There are 5 billabongs in this tile. We use this kundayarr to make the all the dillybag, kunmadj, marebu and djerr in the other tile. Kunmadj we carry on the head when we are collecting manme (bush tucker). We strip the kundayarr and then we use colour (botanical dyes) to make the different colour. Then we tie up the pandanus.’
Deborah Wurrkidj 2022
Works in fibre from the Maningrida region are widely recognised as some of the finest in Australia. Artists confidently push the boundaries of fibre craft and cultural expression, adapting traditional techniques and forms to produce strikingly inventive and aesthetically exquisite artworks.
Artists usually use kundayarr, pandanus spiralis, to weave decorative round or oblong mats, as well as the less common triangular and conical shapes. Weaving is physically hard work, now done only by women. They colour the pandanus using natural dyes made from the roots, leaves or flowers of plants within the weaver’s clan estate.
Deborah has used the root of Man-Kurdudjumuk (coelospermun reticulatum) to dye the fabric a beautiful yellow. This fabric has been dyed on country in the outstation of Kakodbubuldi and later printed in our Maningrida studio. Feathers, basket weaves and pandanus plants are pictured.
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Kundayarr
The first tile has different types of kunmadj (dillybag) and marebu (floormat) made with Kundayarr (Pandanus).
‘There are two djerr (dilly bags), one basket, two marebu (floormats) and one kunmadj in this tile. This is how we carry and collect our bush tucker. This basket in the middle with two handles is made with the coil technique. This is a strong basket for clothes, swag, manburrba (clothing, cloth). We use the floormat to sleep on the ground or carry baby. This is from our old peoples time.
The other tile is kundayarr – pandanus tree and small billabongs with mud and water and grasses. There are 5 billabongs in this tile. We use this kundayarr to make the all the dillybag, kunmadj, marebu and djerr in the other tile. Kunmadj we carry on the head when we are collecting manme (bush tucker). We strip the kundayarr and then we use colour (botanical dyes) to make the different colour. Then we tie up the pandanus.’
Deborah Wurrkidj 2022
Works in fibre from the Maningrida region are widely recognised as some of the finest in Australia. Artists confidently push the boundaries of fibre craft and cultural expression, adapting traditional techniques and forms to produce strikingly inventive and aesthetically exquisite artworks.
Artists usually use kundayarr, pandanus spiralis, to weave decorative round or oblong mats, as well as the less common triangular and conical shapes. Weaving is physically hard work, now done only by women. They colour the pandanus using natural dyes made from the roots, leaves or flowers of plants within the weaver’s clan estate.
Deborah has used the root of Man-Kurdudjumuk (coelospermun reticulatum) to dye the fabric a beautiful yellow. This fabric has been dyed on country in the outstation of Kakodbubuldi and later printed in our Maningrida studio. Feathers, basket weaves and pandanus plants are pictured.
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Djanbokkon
‘There is a special kunwaral (like a spirit) called ‘Djanbokkon’. This is a kunwaral that comes from water and no one has seen it. This is a true Kunwaral and she goes everywhere in the country. Her body is striped. She is a secret dog and she has a secret story. She is the mother of ngalyod (rainbow serpent). If you see on the dolopo of my husbands father – at the art centre, he painted this story a long time ago when he was staying at Marrkolidjban ‘
Janet Marawarr 2022
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Dungala (Big River)
This painting represents Dungala, the big river called the Murray, and when the Murray floods forming water holes and small creeks on Yorta Yorta country and represents Waai and Beeri part of the river.
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Woven Sail
Woven sail made from Gunga (Pandanus Spiralis).
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Balgurr Rope
Traditional rope made from Balgurr (Kurrajong). Rope is used for many purposes from ceremonial wear, to creating weavings, and every day utilitarian purposes.