Summary
This painting relates to rainmaking that only senior men can conduct. The starfish represents the 'master' of the ceremony, always a man with grey hair, and the small squares next to the starfish represent his hair. The dots show that rain is starting to fall and swell streams and creeks. The work is a segment in the larger epic story of the Wagilag Sisters and is related to the sacred waterhole at Mirarrmina.
Physical Description
A single sheet of bark (Stringybark, Eucalytpus tetrodonta) painted with natural pigments.
More Information
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Object/Medium
Painting, bark
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Maker
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Cultural Groups
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Locality
Milingimbi, Eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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Date Produced
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Collector
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Date Collected
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Object Measurements
445 mm (Length), 200 mm (Width), 20 mm (Height)
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Keywords
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Collection Names
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Type of item
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Discipline
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Category
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Collecting Areas
Australian Indigenous - Northern Australia and Queensland and Torres Strait Islands