Bula Bula Arts, Ramingining, NT, Cat No. BP0240
Private Collection
Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, NSW
Artwork story
The people of Central Arnhemland are people of the trees. The yolngu word for bushland, ‘diltji’, means backbone characterising the forest as the frame that supports life.
The forest is a place rich in foods and in August to September each year, when the eucalypt trees flower, the native honey is collected.
This painting shows the totems and body paint design from the Yirritja Narra Birrkulda ceremony (age grading ceremony). The totems represent the hollow tree which is shown as the longitudinal section to indicate a hive of wild bee honey. The diamond indicates the wax honey and larvae of the bees. At the top of the totem is shown the hole through which the bees enter the log.