Title
Dumabiyandangwa - Kestrel
1948
Artist
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Details
- Other Titles
- Sea eagle
Kestrel
Dumabiyandangwa (kestrel) - Place where the work was made
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Groote Eylandt
→
Northern Territory
→
Australia
- Date
- 1948
- Media category
- Bark painting
- Materials used
- natural pigments on bark
- Dimensions
- 40.7 x 68.6 cm
- Signature & date
Not signed. Not dated.
- Credit
- Gift of the Commonwealth Government 1956
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 9262
- Copyright
- © Estate of Mangangina Wurramara
- Artist information
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attrib. Mangangina Wurramara
Works in the collection
- Share
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About
The sea-eagle, iniwakada (Haliastur Indus), starting from Wunda-wunda, near Bennett Bay, was flying towards Groote Eylandt when, at Anabura-madja just off the south-east corner of Bickerton Island, he saw and caught a garfish, maracuru. The sea-eagle carried the garfish first to Bartalumba Point, then southward along the western coast of Groote Eylandt to Neira-madja, on the lower south-east corner. After the sea-eagle has eaten the fish he collected many sticks, and built himself a nest on a cliff. Today that nest is a pillar of rock many feet in height. The eagle went to sleep at Imuakada, then woke up and, when soaring in the sky, saw the garfish, maracuru, caught and ate it. Although the white feathers on the neck and rump of the sea-eagle are indicated, the wings of this large eagle are given little emphasis. The markings on the body indicate the feathers.
[Charles P. Mountford, 'Records of the American-Australian scientific expedition to Arnhem Land vol.1: Art, myth and symbolism', pg. 69]
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Places
Where the work was made
Groote Eylandt
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Exhibition history
Shown in 3 exhibitions
Gamarada, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 15 Nov 1996–16 Feb 1997
ochre: bark paintings from the Collection (2000-01), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 02 Nov 2000–06 May 2001
Mountford Gifts: Works from the American Australian scientific expedition to Arnhem Land 1948, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 Mar 2009–03 Jun 2009
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Bibliography
Referenced in 4 publications
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Jonathan Jones, Mountford Gifts: Works from the American-Australian scientific expedition to Arnhem Land 1948, 'Mountford Gifts: Works from the American-Australian scientific expedition to Arnhem Land 1948', pg. 1-5, Sydney, 2009, 3.
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Charles P Mountford (Editor), Records of the American-Australian scientific expedition to Arnhem Land 1: Art, myth and symbolism, Melbourne, 1956, 69 (illus.). plate no. 21B
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National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Purchases and Acquisitions for 1956 National Art Gallery of N.S.W., Sydney, 1956, 21. cat.no. 43; titled 'Sea Eagle'
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Margo Neale, Yiribana: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collection, Sydney, 1994, 22, 23 (colour illus.), 139.
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