Item DT 8423 ngimbak bulkirnan | Ornament, arm. Ganalbingu. Glyde River, Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. 1937

Summary

In Arnhem Land, armbands and armlets were created for and worn by men, women and children, and very small ones like this were made for babies. Nganybak is a generic name for armbands made from a single length of two ply string wound around a section of Flagellaria cane. The ancestors or wangarr who created the Arnhem Land landscape during their travels in the long past originally wore these armbands. Possum fur or string that has possum fur spun into it is known as bulka, and like feathered string, is made for ceremonial purposes. The ceremonial importance of possum fur is evident in its use to make tassels for sacred objects that might afterwards be incorporated into other objects; for example, attached to nganbyak to make ceremonial armbands, or attached to men's ceremonial baskets.

Local Name

ngimbak bulkirnan

Physical Description

A circular armband made of a cane (most likely Flagelleria sp) overwound with string made of possum fur.