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• Auction House:
  Mossgreen
• Sale Name:
  Australian Indigenous & Oceanic Art
• Sale Date:
  21 Jul 2015 ~ 6.30pm
• Lot #:
  70
• Lot Description:
  Wattie Karruwara
  (circa 1910-1983)
  Untitled (shield) (circa 1965)
  carved wood and natural earth pigments
  68.5 cm high
• Provenance:
  Private Collection, Broome (1965); By descent; David Whitehead, Western Australia; An Important Private Collection
• Notes:
  A shield originating from the south Kimberley and painted at each end with standard motifs - in black with stippled edges - found in that area. The fluting on the back of the shield is also typical for the south Kimberley and suggests the maker originated from the Great Sandy Desert. The face however that is painted in the centre of the shield is virtually identical to faces painted on coolamons for American anthropologist by Wunambal artist, Wattie Karawarra, at Mowanjum Mission near Derby between 1965-1966. Wooden artefacts such as coolamons and shields were commonly traded from the south Kimberley to the people living in the north Kimberley via Mowanjum and it is likely that this is how the shield got to Mowanjum. After being further embellished at Mowanjum by Wattie, this shield was apparently either sold locally at the mission or in Derby, or perhaps taken to Broome when people from the mission visited their coastal neighbour, as occurred periodically for either ceremony or fun, fishing and socialising. As a senior Wunambal man Wattie would have close connections to men of similar status in adjacent towns, missions and stations. Formalised art centres and outlets were not established in the Kimberley at the time and most artefacts sold locally were purchased by friends or acquaintances of the artist, or exchanged or sold at shops, petrol stations, etc in return for food or other goods. As Wattie only produced artefacts decorated with these faces for the short period he worked with McCaffrey, this shield is a rare example of his non-Wanjina painting style. Kim Akerman
• Estimate:
  A$4,000 - 6,000
• 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.