Illortaminni Mick Aruni
(Australia circa 1917–1973)
- Community
- Milikapiti, North region, Melville Island, North region
- Language group
- Tiwi, North region
Male figure in ceremonial array
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
A male is depicted ready to take part in a Kulama ceremony. He is wearing a white cockatoo feather headpiece, armbands of jungle cane, an artificial (goose feather) beard and a goose feather neck ball.
The painted facial and body designs are typical of Tiwi painted design, as applied also to the unique carved and painted grave poles and bark baskets.
The calico loincloth is a post-European contact phenomenon. Formerly, Tiwi males wore no loin covering in their everyday life.The figure has been carved from bloodwood – a dense hardwood typically employed for the mortuary poles; it is from the latter that carved human figures have evolved. The ears and nose have been set in native beeswax.
Harry Messel
- Place of origin
-
Melville and Bathurst Islands,
Northern Territory,
Australia
- Cultural origin
- Tiwi Islands
- Year
- circa 1960s
- Media
- Sculpture
- Medium
- carved and painted blackwood, wax, feathers, cane, natural pigments
- Dimensions
- 91.0 x 15.0cm
- Credit
- Gift of Harry Messel 1990
- Accession number
- 130.1990
