Item X 96582 Ceramic. Arrernte. Palm Valley, Desert East, Northern Territory, Australia. 1997

Summary

Mural titled Irranta (black cockatoos) made by Hermannsburg Potters Aboriginal Corporation artists Carol Rontji, Vera Williams and Elaine Namatjira in 1997 for Museums Victoria. The mural depicts the junction of Palm Valley and Finke River, an area of great cultural significance to Western Arrernte people. This area is abundant in game, animals and food plants and was a major drought refuge for the Western Arrernte. Irrarnte are seed eaters and cavity nesters, and as such depend on trees with fairly large diameters, generally Eucalyptus. They are often seen around dusk, making their way to their favourite large Eucalyptus tree near the entrance to Palm Valley. The irrarnte are raucous and noisy and they can be heard from afar, and are often seen flying overhead in small flocks.

Carol Rontji, Vera Williams and Elaine Namatjira were three of the early members of Hermannsburg Potters Aboriginal Corporation which was founded in 1990. The women are skilled ceramicists making a range of pots as well as collaborating on this mural. In the first ten years of operation Hermannsburg Potters artists created at least twelve of these murals.

Physical Description

A mural made up of15 painted ceramic tiles. It portrays a landscape scene of Palm Valley with mountain ranges in the background and flora and fauna including black cockatoos, goanna and spinifex pigeons.