WUYAL, THE WILD HONEY ANCESTRAL BEING, 1970

Part 2: Important Aboriginal Art
Melbourne
27 November 2013
195

DUNDIWUY WANAMBI

(1936 - 1996)
WUYAL, THE WILD HONEY ANCESTRAL BEING, 1970

natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark

134.5 x 50.5 cm

Estimate: 
$2,000 - 3,000
Provenance

Private collection, Melbourne

Catalogue text

Dundiwuy was a Marrakula clan leader, sculptor and artist, becoming one of the most well known artists of North East Arnhem Land in the 1980s. He was also one of the Yirrikala artists who painted the famous 1968 bark petition, which featured the major ancestral spirit Woijal. This historic Australian document was the second traditional bark petition prepared by Indigenous Australians that was recognised by the Australian Parliament. This painting depicts Wuyal (Woijal) the Wild Honey Ancestral being who travelled in the same country as the Wagilag sisters. The Wuyal myth is closely interwoven with the Wagilag myth cycle. Wuyal is responsible for establishing a number of totemic sites and sacred emblems for various dua moiety mada and mala. His adventures and travels are described in a sequence of songs. The Wuyal mythology is closely linked with Grugalwoi (Gurakawi) at Trial Bay, a most important sacred site of the Maragulu linguistic group. This bark shows a group of these figures with their stone headed spears and sting bags. The stone axe used to extract the honey comb is shown on the right.