Find Lots

• Auction House:
  Bonhams Australia
• Sale Name:
  Important Australian Art
• Sale Date:
  23 Aug 2022 ~ 7pm (AEST)
• Lot #:
  13
• Lot Description:
  John Mawurndjul
  (born 1952)
  Njaljod (Rainbow Serpent) at Godanyal, 1988
  natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark
  145.0 x 50.0cm (57 1/16 x 19 11/16in).
  RELATED EXAMPLE: Ngalyod (Female Rainbow Serpent), 1988 in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
• Provenance:
  Maningrida Arts and Culture, Arnhem Land, (label attached verso, cat. MAW 127); Private collection, Sydney
• Exhibited:
  Magiciens de la Terre, 18 May - 14 August 1989, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
• References:
  Christian Kaufmann (ed), rarrk - John Mawurndjul : journey through time in Northern Australia, Belair, South Australia: Crawford House Publishing, 2005, p. 76 (illus.)
• Notes:
  The Rainbow Serpent Njaljod (or Ngalyod) has immense powers of destruction for those who do not follow ancestral law. Ngalyod moves through wetlands, tunnelling through billabongs, waterholes, rivers and creeks, and is especially powerful during the heavy rains and floods of the wet season. This superb depiction of the powerful ancestral serpent demonstrates Mawurndjul's exceptional mastery of rarrk – the fine cross hatching that adorns Ngalyod's writhing form. Designed to give its serpentine skin a shimmering, other-worldly quality as well as a sense of movement, the design is laid out in repeated rhythmic bands. According to the label attached verso, rocks (Gunwarti) are shown inside the serpent and 'After he created the waterhole he got stuck there, his tail taking the form of a waterlily...'. The headdress is also adorned with waterlilies, alluding to its responsibilities as propagator and guardian of these plants as well as other important fauna of the waterways. Francesca Cavazzini
• Estimate:
  A$40,000 - 60,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

  Can't see the realised price? Upgrade your subscription now!

• Category:
  Art

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