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• Auction House:
  Mossgreen
• Sale Name:
  An Important Private Collection
• Sale Date:
  14 Sep 2014 ~ 2.30pm
• Lot #:
  9
• Lot Description:
  Indji
  (1912-deceased)
  Garaphon and his Bullroarers (circa 1963)
  natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark
  93.5 x 66 cm
• Provenance:
  Private Collection; Important Aboriginal Art, Sotheby's Australia, Melbourne, 30 June 1997, lot 145, illustrated; Private Collection, New South Wales
• Notes:
  The original label that accompained this work (now lost) read: 'According to Murrinh-Patha mythology, long ago in the Dreamtime a man called Garaphon made a bullroarer, and inscribed thereon a series of patterns. He called together all his friends and each danced his own special dance. Garaphon whirled his bullroarer around his head and it fled into the creek. Afterwards, an old man found the bullroarer when fishing and believed it was "proper business". He called together the old men and they performed a corroboree excluding all women and men. The corroboree is known as "Sunday Business," a term believed to be only comparatively recent in origin, probably only over the last sixty years, and thought to have come from New Guinea. The corroboree is held in secret in the bush and young men are initiated. A number of bullroarers are made, each one having inscribed thereon the pattern of a dance reminiscent of the special dance performed by each man at Garaphon's corroboree long ago. Also, bullroarers are made and inscribed exactly the same as the one Garaphon made and lost in the creek. A large ring is made in which the young men sit and watch and listern to the "Boss man" and his aids singing and dancing the story of Garaphon and other birds (it is believed that Garaphon turned into a bird after death). The corroboree goes on night and day for about two to five months and should any women see any of the initiates or the dancing all the local women are punished. In this painting the artist has shown two of the bullroarers used in the Garaphon corroboree. The path to the corroboree ground is shown and some of the food which is hunted and prepared before the ceremony starts. Hunters are shown with woomeras and spears, and hunters are very important men in the tribal structure. Stone axes are also depicted.'
• Estimate:
  A$6,000 - 8,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Art

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.