Australian Aboriginal Art - Lot 292

Lot n° 292
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Estimation :
400 - 600 EUR
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Result : 260EUR
Australian Aboriginal Art - Lot 292
Australian Aboriginal Art Mimih spirits. Natural pigments on eucalyptus bark. 31 x 61 cm. Provenance: Oenpelli, Arhnem Land, Australia. Circa 1970. Anonymous author. This classic, dynamic depiction of four Mimih spirits is characteristic of Arnhem Land bark painting, and more specifically of the OEnpelli region on the borders of today's Kakadu National Park. Mimih spirits are part of the Aboriginal mythology of Arnhem Land (Australia's northern coast) and are believed to live in caves and rock crevices. Tradition has it that they are spindly creatures that can be shattered by the slightest gust of wind. Using natural pigments, artists decorate their bodies and faces in the manner of the ritual paintings the Aborigines adorn themselves with to celebrate these divinities to whom they owe the art of healing, music and dance, as well as the invention of painting. The position of the bodies on this bark can be compared with similar bark whose theme is the celebration of the yam, a tuber that forms the basis of the diet. Mankinjdjek (or "Cheeky Yam") ceremonies celebrate this round plant, which proliferates in the rainy season and is harvested in the dry season. To eat it, it must be boiled for a long time to remove its toxins. The plant's cycle is traditionally likened by aborigines to the human life cycle. The work is of fairly good quality and in a satisfactory state of preservation. There are a few old traces of humidity in places, but these do not affect the reading of the work. The holes at the top and bottom of the bark suggest the prior presence of pieces of wood tied together with plant fiber. This fastening system, common on Terre d'Arnhem bark, is a contemporary practice that stiffens the bark and makes it easier to hang. The wood fixed to the bark before painting explains the slight difference in shade visible to the naked eye. This does not alter the value of the work. Expert: Stéphane Jacob-Langevin
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