NORTH WEST WIND (BARA), 1950S

Important Aboriginal + Oceanic Art
Melbourne
6 October 2010
32

Artist Unknown (Groote Eylandt)

NORTH WEST WIND (BARA), 1950S

natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark

34.0 x 27.5 cm (irregular)

Estimate: 
$1,600-1,800
Sold for $2,280 (inc. BP) in Auction 17 - 6 October 2010, Melbourne
Provenance

Painted on Groote Eylandt
Private collection, Melbourne
 

Catalogue text

When the north west winds begin to blow, the people of the north west wind totem gather at the northern end of Groote Eylandt. Here they bundled together a particular type of grass and shape it into a symbol of the wind (Bara), tying it with human hair string. The symbol was then pointed into the wind to encourage the wind to return again.