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Gunga (Pandanus)
Gunga refers to the weaving and production of goods from pandanus leaves and natural fibres. This design depicts fibre art from her homeland Galiwinku, Elcho Island.
The fish trap, basket, string bag and pandanus mats are objects as well as ancestral spirits and are significant to the artists as together they relate to her djang (Aboriginal religious belief).
Fish traps are woven by hand using the milirl (Burney vine, Trophis scandens) from the jungle, which is soaked overnight to make it soft. Fish traps are used by both saltwater and freshwater hunters. Baskets and pandanus mats are made from pandanus leaves, which are collected using long hooks, stripped, dried, boiled in natural dye, then woven.
