PETER MARRALWANGA, Namangal and Mimih Spirit, c.1980

PETER MARRALWANGA Kuninjku language, 1916 - 1987 Namangal and Mimih Spirit, c.1980 ochre on bark 148 x 55 cm (irregular) bears inscription verso: M417/SR, Maralwanga, label 476, label 313; handwritten label on reverse reads: Artist: Maralwanga, Location: Maragalid ban. A Mimi spirit stands by the bank of Maragalidban Creek. Deep in the water is a huge Barramundi - Namangal PROVENANCE Maningrida Arts & Culture, Northern Territory, Cat No. M417/SR Sotheby's, Aboriginal & Tribal Art, Sydney, 9 November 1997, Lot 313 Private Collection, New South Wales Marralwanga's bark depicts an elongated Mimih figure at the edge of Maragalidban Creek, with the great barramundi Namangal below. The composition contrasts the fine, attenuated form of the Mimih with the dense rarrk cross-hatching of the fish, a technique for which Marralwanga is particularly celebrated. Mimih beings are understood across Arnhem Land as the first inhabitants of Country, ancestral spirits who taught Bininj to hunt, prepare game and paint. Marralwanga began painting on bark relatively late, transferring inherited ceremnial designs onto portable surfaces. Through his close association with Yirawala at Marrkolidjban, he developed a distinctive approach to rarrk, characterised by varied colour, rhythm and intricate patterning. Here, the cross-hatching gives Namangal both physical presence and ancestral significance, while firmly locating the narrative within Marralwanga's Country in Western Arnhem Land. © PETER MARRALWANGA / Copyright Agency, 2026

Estimation:4.931,70€

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