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Djang'kawu story

Peter Wadaymu
Djang'kawu story
 1982

Medium
earth pigments on Stringybark

Measurements
126.5 × 66.5 cm

Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Presented through The Art Foundation of Victoria by Dr Milton Roxanas, Governor, 1996
© The Estate of Peter Wadaymu

Reproduction requests

Gallery location
Not on display

Artwork Details

Place/s of Execution
Elcho Island, Northern Territory

Inscription
inscribed (inverted) in black felt-tipped pen on reverse l.l.: MR/82/GA-02/WWIII
inscribed (inverted) in black fibre-tipped pen on reverse u.r.: 6

Accession Number
1996.382

Department
First Nations Australia

This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Vizard Foundation

Physical description
The artist shows two freshwater goanna emerging from a sacred well created by the Djang'kawu. The horizontal bands patterned with diagonals represent overflowing water covered with wild banana leaves. The dots in the upper section also represent water flowing between waterholes. The Djang'kawu saw fish in this locality and sang about them, making them sacred to the Ngaymil clan.

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