Narritjin Maymuru (1922 - 1981)

GUWAK, MARNGU AND BIYAY AT DJARRAKPI, c.1960

natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark

40.0 x 9.0 cm (irregular)

Collected in 1961
James A. Davidson, Melbourne
Private collection, Melbourne

For a larger work of similar complexity and quality depicting the same subject matter, see Sotheby's, Aboriginal Art, 28 June 1999, lot 46 This painting depicts totemic animals associated with the site of Djarrakpi in Manggalili country on Cape Shield. The central figure with leaves is a kanyawu (the native cashew tree) with a guwak (Koel) at the top. You can see a marngu (possum) climbing up the tree to the right and a garanyirryirr (cicada) and at the bottom biyay (goannas). The snake winding around the cashew tree is a Yirritja moiety snake that swims along the coast off Djarrakpi.