Footnotes

PROVENANCE
Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre, Yirrkala (cat.4898C)
Corporate collection, Sydney

The accompanying Buku-Larrnggay Mulka documentation reads:
"This Waŋgurri clan larrakitj depicts the Wirmul or new moon and Djurrpun the Evening Star and is the first larrakitj in the modern era to so do. The elder who painted it had never revealed this design before. Buwathay said "When the old man was getting sick he drew this in the sand for me and said 'Later paint this one.'" He was referring to his recently deceased father Mathulu's words. Buwathay went on to say "This is my totem. The little stars are the other stars that you can see. There are songs and dances that go with this story. It relates to the milkarri- the keening of women." The design on the pole relates to the journey of such a pole through Wangurri clan waters. In saltwaters belonging to that clan from their homeland at Mutamul towards their freshwater homeland at Dhalinybuy. The minyj or sacred clan design can have different meanings.

One is a manifestation in the tracks let in timber from infestation from the boring mangrove worm Milka. Bands of miny'tji represents this and by the layering of hair brush strokes, that build up to a shimmering and brilliant state, itself a manifestation (we can only imagine) of the sublime and to the references this painting could have of the end results of supernatural events and the peace brought after as rays of sun on the calm waters, a condition called gunbilk. Out there in the still distance clouds line the horizon (triangles). The waters that travel through the mangrove areas, (where the Milka infest the wood), that wash with the tides to be taken with the currents out deep to the horizons meet with associate waters from other estates relative to the Wangurri, such as the Maŋgalili. These waters contain the life forces and clan identity and are taken up into the maternal clouds and as dots amongst the waters supporting the totem octopus Manda and the yothu (child) cuttle fish shells floating on the surface. These worms die as the pole itself a being washes into the freshwater."

image: last larrakitj on the right