The Collection of the Late Ian Dunlop, Canberra
Lot 202
Mawalan Marika(circa 1908-1967)Mururuma Story (Djangkawu), 1960s
3 December 2025, 14:00 AEDT
SydneyAU$3,000 - AU$5,000
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Alex Clark
Head of Sale, Senior Specialist
Merryn Schriever
Managing Director, Australia
Mawalan Marika (circa 1908-1967)
Mururuma Story (Djangkawu), 1960s
natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark
107.0 x 62.0cm (42 1/8 x 24 7/16in).
natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark
107.0 x 62.0cm (42 1/8 x 24 7/16in).
Footnotes
PROVENANCE
The Collection of the Late Ian Dunlop, Canberra
EXHIBITED
possibly, 'Art from Arnhem Land': a story of the Australian Aborigine, October - November 1961
This work is accompanied by the original distressed label which reads:
"Mururuma" ... Mawalan
Mururuma went from Cape Arnhem to Arnhem Bay and stole some women then went back to Cape Arnhem and stayed there. Later he went to Melville to hunt and see his country. There he caught all the fish shown (illeg.) then lit a fire and started to cook the fish and stingray. Bugulaitjboi and (illeg.) his group (his enemy) met him at Melville Bay. He tricked him by calling out (illeg.) women's names. He said "Where is the enemy come from?" and then threw spear in Mururuma's back. Mururuma pulled the spear out of his back and then killed Bugulaitjboi. Bugulaitjboi's group then speared Mururuma to death. His body is shown in centre of picture, filled with spears, and with maggots crawling around.
The seven men are his friends come to look for him. Near the point they saw his spirit spearing a fish, but still could not find him. Later they saw his spirit on a rock with hands above head telling them that he was dead. The yellow objects are Jungawul's special clubs. The three women sitting are his wives, hitting their heads to show grief. Cross hatching here is water'