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Djarrwark ga Dhalwanu
Gawirrin Gumana1998/1998
Australian National Maritime Museum
Sydney, Australia
This bark painting expresses the artist Gawirrin Gumana's inherited rights to the land through his naming, mapping and depiction of the coastline. His title on this region stems from his intricate knowledge of the sacred laws, songs, ancestral events and life cycle of the fresh and saltwater. The painting depicts Walwaltjpa (the creator sisters) in the form of a catfish, Balin the Burramundi and the lightning snake Mundukal.
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Details
- Title: Djarrwark ga Dhalwanu
- Creator: Gawirrin Gumana
- Date: 1998/1998
- Location: Northern Territory
- Type: Bark painting
- Significance: This bark was painted as part of the Saltwater Project by the Yolnu people. It was used as evidence in court hearings to argue Indigenous claims to land and sea title in East Arnhem Land. It is representative of the Dhalwanu clan in the homeland of Baraltja.
- See institution's online collections: http://www.anmm.gov.au/collections
- Medium: Natural pigments on bark
- Dimensions: 153 x 83 mm
- Credit line: ANMM Collection Purchased with the assistance of Stephen Grant of the GrantPirrie Gallery
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