Lot 104
  • 104

Mawalan Marika circa 1908 - 1967 DJANG'KAWU

Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 AUD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Mawalan Marika
  • DJANG'KAWU
  • bears artist's name, title Djunkowa [sic] and size on the reverse

  • natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark
  • 117 BY 40CM

Provenance

Painted at Yirrkala, North East Arnhem Land
Private collection

Condition

To request a condition report please contact Francesca Cavazzini, email: francesca.cavazzini@sothebys.com, tel: +61 (0) 2 9362 1000 or Greer Adams, email: greer.adams@sothebys.com, tel: +61 (0) 3 9509 2900
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

The Djang'kawu, commonly described as two women and their brother, are the apical creator ancestors of the Dhuwa moiety in eastern Arnhem Land. As the main ceremonial leader and artist for the Rirratjingu clan, a large body of work Mawalan relates to these ancestors. Among his most renowned paintings of the subject is Djang'kawu creation story, 1959, in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. This collection also contains two sculptures from 1960 by Mawalan of the Djang'kawu brother sporting a feathered braid at the jaw, as in the white form on the face of the figure in the painting. Djang'kawu creation story, 1959, is illustrated in Hetti Perkins, Tradition Today: Indigenous Art in Australia, Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2004, p. 77; the sculptures are illustrated on p. 83.