May 2025

221382363751

Bondok

Wood carving has always been part of Aboriginal culture and Djilpin artists continue this tradition. Men carved wood for many purposes – tools for hunting or gathering food, axes and knives for building shelters, spears and clubs for protection of their lives and territory, objects for ceremony and to mark sacred sites.

Hunting implements include the boomerang, woomera and spear. The woomera is a lever which helps to increase the speed and distance the spear travels. Clapsticks are used as percussion instruments by the Songmen to accompany dancing along with the didgeridoo (mago).

As well as the more functional carvings, artists portray animals and birds in wood, and these carvings are often painted. Ceremonial carvings include spirit creatures including mukuy (devil devils) and mimi.

Some fine mimi figures have been cast in bronze.

By , ago

221382363749

Spear

Wood carving has always been part of Aboriginal culture and Djilpin artists continue this tradition. Men carved wood for many purposes – tools for hunting or gathering food, axes and knives for building shelters, spears and clubs for protection of their lives and territory, objects for ceremony and to mark sacred sites.

Hunting implements include the boomerang, woomera and spear. The woomera is a lever which helps to increase the speed and distance the spear travels. Clapsticks are used as percussion instruments by the Songmen to accompany dancing along with the didgeridoo (mago).

As well as the more functional carvings, artists portray animals and birds in wood, and these carvings are often painted. Ceremonial carvings include spirit creatures including mukuy (devil devils) and mimi.

Some fine mimi figures have been cast in bronze.

By , ago

221382363737

Small Lorrkon

Wood carving has always been part of Aboriginal culture and Djilpin artists continue this tradition. Men carved wood for many purposes – tools for hunting or gathering food, axes and knives for building shelters, spears and clubs for protection of their lives and territory, objects for ceremony and to mark sacred sites.

Hunting implements include the boomerang, woomera and spear. The woomera is a lever which helps to increase the speed and distance the spear travels. Clapsticks are used as percussion instruments by the Songmen to accompany dancing along with the didgeridoo (mago).

As well as the more functional carvings, artists portray animals and birds in wood, and these carvings are often painted. Ceremonial carvings include spirit creatures including mukuy (devil devils) and mimi.

Some fine mimi figures have been cast in bronze.

By , ago

221382363735

Wood Sculpture

Wood carving has always been part of Aboriginal culture and Djilpin artists continue this tradition. Men carved wood for many purposes – tools for hunting or gathering food, axes and knives for building shelters, spears and clubs for protection of their lives and territory, objects for ceremony and to mark sacred sites.

Hunting implements include the boomerang, woomera and spear. The woomera is a lever which helps to increase the speed and distance the spear travels. Clapsticks are used as percussion instruments by the Songmen to accompany dancing along with the didgeridoo (mago).

As well as the more functional carvings, artists portray animals and birds in wood, and these carvings are often painted. Ceremonial carvings include spirit creatures including mukuy (devil devils) and mimi.

Some fine mimi figures have been cast in bronze.

By , ago

221382363730

Lorrkon

Wood carving has always been part of Aboriginal culture and Djilpin artists continue this tradition. Men carved wood for many purposes – tools for hunting or gathering food, axes and knives for building shelters, spears and clubs for protection of their lives and territory, objects for ceremony and to mark sacred sites.

Hunting implements include the boomerang, woomera and spear. The woomera is a lever which helps to increase the speed and distance the spear travels. Clapsticks are used as percussion instruments by the Songmen to accompany dancing along with the didgeridoo (mago).

As well as the more functional carvings, artists portray animals and birds in wood, and these carvings are often painted. Ceremonial carvings include spirit creatures including mukuy (devil devils) and mimi.

Some fine mimi figures have been cast in bronze.

By , ago

115682363717

Warraburnburn (spirit)

Like people, warraburnburn live in family groups. Though they cannot be seen, they can sometimes be heard calling out to one another as they move across the country to hunt. They also have the ability to communicate internally with people, warning them when strangers enter their land. Warraburnburn know the country intimately and can be both protective and dangerous. Some may mislead people, turning the land over to make it confusing and unfamiliar, while others guide people to safety.

By , ago

115682363716

Warraburnburn (spirit)

This carving is representational of a “ghost spirit”.  Yolngu lore says they are a lot like Yolngu, they like to live in the bush and go hunting and fishing with their families.

By , ago

115682363714

Bathi (Pandanus Basket)

Yolŋu weavers of Arnhem Land create utilitarian, ceremonial, and decorative pieces using naturally sourced materials. This Bathi (Pandanus Basket) is made from young Pandanus spiralis leaves, harvested with a wooden hook, stripped of prickles, and dried to create strong, resilient fibres. These fibres are then twisted, coiled, or woven using various techniques to produce both functional and decorative baskets.

Typically, Bathi are made using a coiling technique which was adapted from techniques used by Indigenous women throughout Southeast Australia. Introduced to Arnhem Land weavers in the 1930’s as Missionaries began commissioning pieces in this style.

Bula’bula weavers exclusively use natural dyes, derived from locally sourced roots, leaves and grasses. These pigments are extracted and infused into pandanus fibres by boiling over an open fire, producing the rich, vibrant colours characteristic of contemporary Yolŋu weavings.

By , ago

221382363713

Bush String Bag

Bush String Bags are vastly more labour intensive than Pandanus fibre art. Depending on the size, literally hundreds of hours can go into making a bush string bag.

Artists collect Anputput (Kurrajong, sounds like “but-but”), and then steam the logs in a fire. Bark is peeled off and the outer darker skin discarded. The softer inner fibre is mashed and separated into usable strips which has a lace-like visual look.

From here the strips are rolled – usually on a leg or thigh – and spun into the string form. This alone is very time consuming as the artist needs to create the material from which she weaves.

At this point natural bush colour is boiled and the string added to give it colouring. Only now with a dyed and functionally formed piece of string can the artist begin to create loops, weaving row upon row to create a dilly bag.

By , ago

221382363710

Bush String Bag

Bush String Bags are vastly more labour intensive than Pandanus fibre art. Depending on the size, literally hundreds of hours can go into making a bush string bag.

Artists collect Anputput (Kurrajong, sounds like “but-but”), and then steam the logs in a fire. Bark is peeled off and the outer darker skin discarded. The softer inner fibre is mashed and separated into usable strips which has a lace-like visual look.

From here the strips are rolled – usually on a leg or thigh – and spun into the string form. This alone is very time consuming as the artist needs to create the material from which she weaves.

At this point natural bush colour is boiled and the string added to give it colouring. Only now with a dyed and functionally formed piece of string can the artist begin to create loops, weaving row upon row to create a dilly bag.

By , ago