Item X 101686 balata or balatj | Club. Mildjingi. Milingimbi, Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. c.1939

Summary

This is typical of painted clubs from eastern Arnhem Land known as balatha or baladj. It is painted with natural pigments and the distinctive patterning is djarrapung, the sacred cloud design for the Mildjingi clan. The diamonds represent the monsoonal clouds that bring the heavy wet season rains represented by the dots.

Local Name

balata or balatj

Physical Description

An elongated club made from a single piece of hardwood painted with natural pigments. The distal end is paddle shaped and the proximal end is forked. A distinctive diamond pattern is painted on the blade of the club.