UNTITLED (PELICAN MYTH DIPTYCH)
99
Thomas Nanjiwarra Amagula
(1924 - 1989)
UNTITLED (PELICAN MYTH DIPTYCH)
natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark
39.5 x 44.0 cm and 34.0 x 43.0 cm
Estimate:
$8,000 - 10,000 (2)
Sold for $15,600 (inc. BP) in Auction 13 - 24 March 2010, Melbourne
Provenance
Groote Eylandt Aboriginal Mission, Groote Eylandt (labels attached verso)
Private collection
Sotheby’s, Sydney, 20 October 2008, lot 60
Private collection, Melbourne
Catalogue text
The accompanying label from the Church Missionary Society of Groote Eylandt Aboriginal Mission states: (i) ‘15b. Little boy gets his brother to climb up and get the little pelicans for him. (story by Nandjiwarra)’ (ii) ‘15b / 16b Like a double picture. The wife tells little boy to pull the dog away. Then the pelicans come back and live on him. After a while feathers stick to the man. He becomes a bird and flies away.’