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Iconographic Meaning

Painting depicts the story of how the turtle got its shell. The mother echidna went hunting and the turtle ate her child. The echidna fought the turtle and hit him with a stone, creating his shell. The turtle survived and went to his family to help fight the echidna; his two sisters came to his aid.

Description

Painting on a piece of arches paper, in horizontal orientation; depicts two echidnas and a turtle. Painting background is a mix of dark pink and black; the two echidnas are in the top right corner, the turtle spans the bottom half of the painting and there is a large yellow stone in the top left corner. The echidnas have circular heads, with long beaks and short, white forked tongues. Their backs are curved with white spikes along them; their four legs and triangular tails are all angled backwards. Bodies are decorated with rectangles filled with cross-hatching; done in maroon, white and dark yellow. Lines dividing rectangles are white. The larger echidna, towards the top edge, has additional line and square motifs throughout; small echidna has a thin yellow band. Both have lines and ovals through their centres. The turtle has its head tilted upward, toward the small echidna. Front legs of turtle are spread to either side, back legs are straight; tail is curved to the side. The body of the turtle has the same decorations as the echidnas. Additional square and "X" motifs along feet, neck and back. There are white lines, depicting movement, around the head of the turtle and the back of the small echidna. Back of painting has a stamp on it; pen inscriptions underneath.