Wally Mandarrk (1915 - 1987)

NAMORMOYAK (MALE AND FEMALE SPIRITS AND THE SNAKE) KOTJUWARI (AT BENEBENEMDI)
AND
KARRBURLK AND GANDIRIKAL (EDIBLE NATIVE TUBERS) 
natural earth pigments on natural earth pigments on eucalyptus barks

i.89.0 x 26.0 cm (irregular); 112.0 x 49.0 x 10.5 cm (frame)
ii. 85.5 x 24.0 cm (irregular); 111.5 x 49.0 x 12.0 cm (frame)

i.bears inscription on label verso: Mandark collection/No. 22

Maningrida Arts and Crafts, Northern Territory
The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, Melbourne, acquired from the above on 20 April 1994

National Treasures, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria, 14 November 2015 – 13 March 2016

Nainby, B., Stanhope, Z., and Furlonger, K., The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, in association with Latrobe Regional Gallery, Melbourne, 2009, p. 225

This work is located in our Melbourne Gallery

Condition:
(i)This work is in good and stable condition.
There are light surface abrasions to the bark support with loss of predominantly white pigment to small areas across the bodies of both figures and there is a dark vertical stain to the torso of the left figure.

(ii) This work is in a stable condition.
There has been extensive pigment loss to the top half of the composition and visible surface abrasion with some loss of pigment to the centre of the lower half of the composition.

These are old, stable, characteristic of the medium and age of the work, and visible in the enlarged online catalogue image.
Both works are attached with clear plastic clips to a hessian lined backboard, and housed in a custom, dark timber box frame under protective Perspex.