Item X 43254 Garment. Goulburn Island, Western Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. c.1925

Summary

This skirt was collected from the mainland of western Arnhem Land directly opposite Goulburn Island. When Kunwinjku artist, Jill Nganjmirra visited Melbourne Museum in June 2004, and saw objects from the Read family, she commented that they would have been collected from Maung people. "My mother's (Wendy Wiyuna) family... Long time people from Mamadawerre and Maung stayed there [Goulburn Island]. Two men went around the coast - that's why they went to that island." Jill Nganjmirra also noted that the black used to paint the dots on the skirt were "from the ashes", and that the fringe had been cut using a stone knife - "sharp one. They cut it themselves." These triangular shaped skirts made from pandanus have a limited distribution extending from the central Arnhem Land region westwards to the Liverpoool River.

Physical Description

A twined triangular skirt with a fringe made from pandanus painted with natural pigments. It is decorated with horizontal bands of red, yellow and white. Black dots are painted onto the red bands and a geometric pattern is painted at the top.