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• Auction House:
  Deutscher and Hackett
• Sale Name:
  Australian Aboriginal Art Including Works from the Maclean Collection - Timed Online Auction
• Sale Date:
  19 May 2020 ~ 7pm (AEST)
• Lot #:
  16
• Lot Description:
  Anniebell Marrngamarrnga
  (born 1967)
  Yawkyawk, 2007
  woven pandanus fibre dyed with natural pigments
  177.0 x 64.5 cm
• Provenance:
  Maningrida Arts and Culture, Maningrida, Northern Territory (cat. 1933–07); William Mora Galleries, Melbourne; Maclean collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above in July 2007
• Notes:
  This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Maningrida Arts and Culture, Maningrida, Northern Territory which states in part: ‘"Yawkyawk" is a word in the "Kunwinjku/Kunwo"k language of Western Arnhem Land meaning 'young woman' and 'young woman spirit being'. The different groups of Kunwinjku people (one of the Eastern dialect groups call themselves Kuninjku) each have "Yawkyawk" mythologies, which relate to specific locations in clan estates. These mythologies are represented in bark paintings and sculptures of "Yawkyawk" beings. There are also a few examples of rock art images of these beings. The female water spirits "Yawkyawk" or "Ngalkzmburriyaymi" are perhaps the most enigmatic of mythological themes. Sometimes compared to the European notion of mermaids, they exist as spiritual beings living in freshwater streams and rock pools, particularly those in the stone country. The spirit "Yawkyawk" is usually described and depicted with the tail of a fish. Thus, the Kuninjku people sometimes call them "ngalberddjenj" which literally means 'the young woman who has a tail like a fish'. They have long hair, which is associated with trailing blooms of green algae (called "man-bak" in Kuninjku). At times they leave their aquatic homes to walk about on dry land, particularly at night. Text by Murray Garde and Christiane Keller’
• Estimate:
  A$2,000 - 3,000
• 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.