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Manbirrbbirr dja Kunwardde – major work
Manbirrbbirr dja Kunwardde In Kuninjku the name manbirrbbirr is used for a number of densely flowering shrubs and small trees including Verticordia cunninghamii, yellow flowering Austromyrtus species and also Acacia platycarpa which also has dense white. Kunwardde means stone, rock or money in Kuninjku. The striking yellow – gold hue comes from the root oft of the man-kurdudjumuk (coelospermum reticulatum) which has been harvested from the sandy country near the flood plains. This laborious and tiring process requires digging up the entire shrub. The root is shaven into a pot of water and the colour is released into waster through boiling. Sister artists, Apphia Wurrkidj and Jennifer Wurrkidj have collaborated on this beautiful work.