ETHNOGRAPHIC ART AND ARTEFACTS
Friday, 14 - Monday, 24 March 2025
Donny Yorna Woolagoodja
Current Bid $300 (4 bids, reserve met)
This lot is now closed 24 Mar 6:36 PM (NZST)
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Lot Details
Namarali, Ungud and Dumbi', acrylic on canvas, unframed, 600 x 600mm, inscribed verso 'Mowanjum** Art Centre', signed Donny Woolagoodja. Original purchase documentation available. Provenance: The Jorgen Lotz Collection. Note: Namarali is a Wandjina belonging to the Worrorra tribe, the creator of laws that relate to funerary customs. Dumbi is an owl spirit and Ungud a snake spirit recorded in the Worrorra area/language. *Mowanjum Aboriginal Community was created in 1956 when Ngarinyin, Worrorra and Wunambal people were relocated away from their homelands in the north west Kimberley. Mowanjum peoples share their beliefs about the magnificent Wanjinas who created mountains and rivers and other features of their homeland and then left their paintings during the Dreamtime at rock shelters throughout Worrorra, Ngarinyin and Wunambal lands The Wanjina is highly revered by the people because it gave the law, culture and language. Every person has an Ungud spirit created by the Wanjinas that is an animal or a plant. When someone dies, they go back to being that animal and back to the Wanjina spirits. Today each and every individual has their own animal that belongs to them Over the past several years, there has been an outpouring of artistic creativity at Mowanjum, as people have turned their talents to painting Wanjinas on paper and canvas. Wanjinas and their expression as art received global attention when a giant mural of the Worrora Wanjina Namarali, designed by Donny Woolagoodja, was featured in the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
