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Lot 33

Tom Djawa
(circa 1905-1980)

Important Australian and Aboriginal Art including works from the Estate of Mary Macha AM

19 November 2017, 16:00 AEDT

Melbourne, Armadale

Sold for AU$1,464 inc. premium

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Tom Djawa (circa 1905-1980)

Untitled (Honey or Sugar Bag Madayin), 1975
inscribed with artist's name verso: 'Djawa'
natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark
73.0 x 18.0 (28 3/4 x 7 1/16in)

JIMMY NAINGAIIJA
Untitled (Dancers)
label attached verso and inscribed with artist's name, location and subject verso: 'Artist: Jimmy Nagaiya / NARNAEKI / TRADITIONAL DESIGN'
natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark
52.0 x 27.5cm (20 1/2 x 10 13/16in)

(2)

Footnotes

PROVENANCE
The Estate of Mary Macha AM, Perth

This work is accompanied by notes which read: 'This painting represents the "honey" or "sugar bag", madayin (sacred totem) of the Gupapuynu people, Djawa's own madayin. It shows the tree and is called "ganiny" (a sacred name). The part in the middle is where the honey is. The lower section has no honey, it is simply fibre (raki' string).

The hanging parts represent the flowers which the bees look for. This madayin was part of the Narra ceremony which took place here last year. The 2 totemic ancestors Dhupiditj and Ditjpuditj are in charge of this and they named it.
Painted by Djawa - Head man of the Gupapuynu Clan.
Milingimbi, N.T., Australia - December 1975'.

The label attached verso reads:
'Artist: Naingaiija, Tribe: Liwagalawamirri, Area: Elcho Island (Narnaeki, an outpost of the island.)

The artist is one of the truly old time painters, and in this painting he has depicted tribal dancers wearing huge halos of bamboo and feathers. There is only one other artist who painted in this style, Baku Ray, who died last year. To a connoisseur, this style of painting is very valuable, as it is completely uncommercialised'.

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