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Buffalo Skull
This commissioned Water Buffalo piece features a Wagilak clan bush tool creation story along with a young man initiation ceremony body paint style.
Central to the piece are to Wagilak people. A man is on the left, and his wife on the right. “Man stomped on the big “ngarmbi” and was happy and yelled out to his wife I’ve been find family here. Ive been found stone.”
His wife replied “Alright, from this you must make tools. First he made a stone axe, by cracking the ngarmbi.” This is shown on the left and right side of the buffalo forehead.
Smaller pieces were shaped into stoneblades and razorblades, visible on the central part of the buffalo forehead. From here the man made more bush tools; spear and woomera. These are shown on the side of the buffalo snout. The wife then created an important dillybag from pandanus for carrying the stone blades. These dillybags are beside the Wagilak people. For carry water she made a coolamon, and a digging stick for harvesting ground yams. Below this are tools for making fire. These are shown on the opposite side of the snout.
White dots all over the piece are similar to the body paint dots placed on young men and women when they go through Wagilak initiation ceremony.
Raark or fine line work has been completed using a handmade grass reed brush called Jarlk. Raark is in Yirritja style and consists of mutliple lines before alternating colour.
Modern acrylic paint has been used. Skull was sanded smooth before painting so the Jarlk brush could flow easily.
