Australia Shops

A new addition to our range of products are original tree-bark paintings from the Millingimbi community, a tribe which lives on a small island belonging to Arnhem Land north of Darwin. The paintings tell of the old mythology of Australia’s original inhabitants and give proof to an uninterrupted culture spanning 30,000 to 40,000 years. The mythology, as well as the skills needed to paint, were handed down from father to son, respectively from uncle to nephew. Through these paintings at various ceremonies the young men were introduced to their tribes history bit by bit, a history which is based on the occurences of the “Dream Time”.

Each of the pictures that we would like to present to you has it’s own story, a story which is as unique as the artist to whom it was handed down.

Please click on the pictures to enlarge them ! (longer loading time for better definition)

	Artist: WULURRK In this picture the artist shows the “Thunderman“ DJAMBUWAL, an ancestor from the Dream Time. Djambuwal lives in the rain clouds. He is responsible for rain and for the irrigation of the land. He is also a good spear fisherman. He is depicted here with his spear looking down at the artists land. The rivers and lakes are full from the rain that flows from Djambuwals’ penis. The criss-cross background symbolises the artists land. Size approx. 82 x 46 cm Price: 450,- €
	Artist: MANUWA This picture belongs to the "Dhuwa Ngarra Ceremony", which is only carried out every 3-4 years. It serves to continue the young men’s education in further clarifying the mythology of the clan they belong to. MURAYANA, an ancestor from the Dream Time killed BUL'MANDJI, the mystical shark, with his holy Stingray Spear. After this shark was carved, each part of it became a part of the land that was awarded to the artists tribe. Size ca. 81 x 44 cm Price: 398,- €
	Artist: YUWATI Man believes that the turtles were the creators of the Rain Time. In this picture the turtle swims from the depths of the ocean to the surface to beg for rain, as well as the related fertility. The coloured triangles on the border of the bark symbolises the different cloud formations that were present in the Rain Time. Black stands for the dark thunderstorm clouds, the lighter coloured triangles stand for rain, and the red for the magnificent sunshine in the Tropics. Size ca. 106 x 39 cm Price: sold !
	Artist: MONDJINGU During their trip through and along the coast of Arnhem Land, the Djangawu Sisters entered the Mildjingu Land. There they created the Nangutji Waterholes, where they put their mystical "Digging Sticks" (little sticks with a sharpened head) in the Earth. This story from the mythology, coming from the Dream Time, is all told by the artist in the picture. The circles symbolise the waterholes. The permission to paint this picture came from the artists Uncle on his Mother’s side. Size ca. 90 x 46 cm Price: sold !
Further artwork in a short .....

First of all the bark must be sought and found. The bark used is found on the Eucalyptus Tetrodantus tree. After thorough examination – to eliminate the chance of getting faulty bark, like, for example, crippled fibres etc. – is the bark removed from the tree trunk. It is removed by making a horizontal cut on the tree to the width that is desired. A second cut is then made to the desired height. Through a vertical pull from the bottom cut to the top cut, the bark can very carefully be freed from the tree trunk.

The bark cylinder is made flat and dried out over an open fire. The bark is then layed in the sun for about 2 weeks and held flat with some heavy stones. After the bark is fully dried out, the next process can begin.

First of all the inside of the bark must be cleaned with the help of a sharp stone or a sharp knife. This is to make a smooth surface that will hold the colours. The colors are made by mixing sandstone and whitewashed clay. On a stone base, the coloured stones are smashed until they are a powder. To obtain the necessary colour, the powder is mixed with more or less water. The juice of wild orchids are used as a fixer.

In most cases, the bark is given a red-coloured background. As a paintbrush, a branch of a bush is cut off and used. For the fine details in the end, a brush is made from human hair.

Dachauer Str. 109 80335 München / Munich Germany	Limburger Str. 14 50672 Köln / Cologne Germany	Wallstr. 66 10179 Berlin-Mitte Germany	Vorsetzen 54 20459 Hamburg Germany
Tel: 089 - 542 8391 Fax: 089 - 5231 5487	Tel: 0221 - 121617 Fax: 0221 - 913 0650	Tel: 030 - 9700 5251 Fax: 030 - 9700 5232	Tel: 040 - 33442232 Fax:
Mo-Fr 11-19, Sa 10-14 Uhr	Mo-Fr 11-20 Uhr, Sa 11-16 Uhr	Mo-Fr 11-19 Uhr, Sa 11-15 Uhr	Mo-Fr 11.00-19.00, Sa 11.00-16 Uhr