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Kunmadj

Dora has depicted kunmadj (dillybag), which is a large woven collecting basket. These large bags are often made from the burney vine (Malaisia scandens), a strong, pliable plant that grows along the ground and into the canopy of monsoon vine thickets. The bags are used to collect heavy foods, such as fish caught in conical fish traps or yams. They can also be made from kun-dayarr (Pandanus spiralis), a palm that grows in many areas of Arnhem Land. Tightly woven dillybags are used to collect sugarbag, the native honey.

As well as being of practical use, dillybags are of cultural significance to Arnhem Land people. They are totemic objects associated with particular sites in the landscape. 

Name: Dora Diaguma


Language: English, Kuninjku


Community: Maningrida


Biography:

Dora Diaguma started working with Bábbarra Designs in 2007, however, due to ill health she is now based at home.

Dora’s designs often depict her djang (ancestral creation stories) and native flora and fauna, such as her popular fabric design Murnubbarr (Magpie Goose).


© the artist / art centre