Emu Dance, c. 1970

61 x 38 cm

Est. $2,400 – $3,600

Hammer $1,650

Provenance: Collected by Dorothy Bennett, Darwin, NT, late 1960s–early 1970s The Australia Gallery (formerly the A Gallery), New York (David Betz) Private Collection, Albany NY
Artwork story: This finely worked bark painting by Djoni Bunguwuruy depicts the Emu Dance, part of the Yirritja Narungga Ceremony associated with initiation rites. The central black column and roundel mark a sacred waterhole, around which emus gather, their forms articulated in ochre with cross-hatched infill and dotted surrounds. The work bears early provenance from Dorothy Bennett, whose collection was instrumental in introducing Arnhem Land painting to broader audiences from the 1960s onward. Two original documentation sheets remain affixed to the verso, including notes describing the ceremony’s role in circumcision rites and food gathering practices. Bunguwuruy, active at Milingimbi, is recognised for his strong, linear compositions that balance ceremonial detail with symbolic clarity.

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Sale 2 · Lot 47

Djoni Bungawuy

1922 – 1982

61 x 38 cm

Est. $2,400 – $3,600

Hammer $1,650

Provenance: Collected by Dorothy Bennett, Darwin, NT, late 1960s–early 1970s The Australia Gallery (formerly the A Gallery), New York (David Betz) Private Collection, Albany NY
Artwork story: This finely worked bark painting by Djoni Bunguwuruy depicts the Emu Dance, part of the Yirritja Narungga Ceremony associated with initiation rites. The central black column and roundel mark a sacred waterhole, around which emus gather, their forms articulated in ochre with cross-hatched infill and dotted surrounds. The work bears early provenance from Dorothy Bennett, whose collection was instrumental in introducing Arnhem Land painting to broader audiences from the 1960s onward. Two original documentation sheets remain affixed to the verso, including notes describing the ceremony’s role in circumcision rites and food gathering practices. Bunguwuruy, active at Milingimbi, is recognised for his strong, linear compositions that balance ceremonial detail with symbolic clarity.