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Description

Painting on a long, thin and rectangular piece of slightly warped bark; depicts Yurlungurr (the Great Snake). Painting background is maroon with sections of black and dark yellow; maroon is covered in white dots. Main design consists of two large, curled serpents in centre of painting. Snakes have thick bodies that taper at white, oval-shaped heads and pointed tails. Short, white forked tongues extend from mouths; both have maroon circular eyes. Bodies are decorated with diagonal bands filled with cross-hatching; bands are maroon, white and dark yellow. Snake bodies are outlined in maroon with white dots throughout. Neck of top snake is dark yellow, bottom snake has a black neck. The space surrounding the top snake is black, space around bottom snake is dark yellow. Throughout painting background there are large semi-circles, fan palms, and animals. All background decorations are done in maroon, black, white and dark yellow; cross-hatching and dot motifs throughout. Back of painting is undecorated; paper label is adhered to centre.

Narrative

Painting was sold to Mr. T. Barnett by the Bennett-Campbell Australian Aboriginal Trust. The artist made it at the Milingimbi Methodist Mission.

Iconographic Meaning

Fan palms represent Nirrimina, where the totemic well Yurlungurr lives in is located. The white dots represent the great rains the Great Snake sent after swallowing the Wawilak Sisters. In the story, the sisters wandered the earth, naming all plants, animals and wells, and accidentally polluted the Great Snake's well. In response, he called all the other pythons to join him, and swallowed them. The other animals portrayed throughout the painting are the animals the sisters named in their wanderings. The ant beds, represented by semi-circles of cross-hatching, are where Yurlungurr sometimes lives.