Summary

Made by the Wemba Wemba people of the Swan Hill region of Victoria, this basket was traditionally used for carrying the eggs of the Lowan (Mallee fowl).Its making and function is embedded in cultural knowledge of astronomy, birdlife, Country and seasons, passed down through countless generations over thousands of years.
Wemba Wemba artist and weaver Sue Charles continues the traditions of her Elders and Ancestors;
'Basket making needs to be preserved and passed down; it will skip a generation if we don't teach our kids. There are not many senior basket makers still alive. My art was inspired by Aunty Dot Peters, a renowned Elder and weaver, who used to take me to collect flax and grasses for weaving eel traps. I like to weave baskets with hayband and seagrass.' Sue Charles, 2007.

Local Name

Midjer

Physical Description

Basket made from widging-nee (sedge grass) using the coiling method. It is oval in shape with high sides. The sides are finished by wrapping the edges. The basket is quite rigid and appears darker in some areas, especially around the wrapped rim.

Significance

Neilloan (the star constellation Lyra) the ancestral Mallee fowl, is the creator of all the Mallee fowl and she is found in the night sky. The Wemba Wemba people in north-western Victoria looked to the star constellations to tell them when they should collect the Lowan's eggs. When Neilloan appeared in the north-western sky around April, they knew the Lowan would be preparing their nest-like mounds. The disappearance of Neilloan in late September or early October when she goes to sit with the sun meant it was time to start gathering the eggs. Lowan are shy, solitary ground-dwelling birds that are seldom seen, relying on their intricately patterned plumage for camouflage. They incubate their eggs by burying them in mounds of leaf litter and sand.
The Wemba Wemba's knowledge of the Lowan's habits and breeding localities ensured a seasonal supply of a valuable food source, with each pair producing an average of 20 eggs per season.
References
Charles, S. Victorian Indigenous Art Awards 2007, Viewed 1 September 2017.

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