DANCING MIMIH FIGURES, 1960s

Important Aboriginal Works of Art
Melbourne
25 May 2016
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39

YIRAWALA

(c.1895 – 1976)
DANCING MIMIH FIGURES, 1960s

natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark

42.0 x 23.5 cm

bears old label verso with artist’s name, language group – Gunwingu [sic.] moiety – Dua, location and a description of the story depicted

Estimate: 
$6,000 – 8,000
Sold for $5,490 (inc. BP) in Auction 43 - 25 May 2016, Melbourne
Provenance

Most likely executed at Minjilang, Croker Island, Western Arnhem Land
Native Arts Gallery, Sydney
Private collection, United States of America, acquired from the above in 1970

Related works

Other examples of bark paintings featuring dancing Mimih figures are held in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, see Michael, L., (ed.), They are Meditating, Bark Painting from the MCA's Arnott's Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, 2008, pp. 196 – 199
The old label states: ‘Country inland from the Liverpool River. Ceremonial Leader for Maraian, Ubar and Lorrgon – last of the old cave artists and true ceremonial leader.
The painting represents the mating of the first mimi man and woman by a waterhole below Oenpelli Arnhem Land. The old artist says that the mimi’s are spirit people now but once they were real but a lot smaller than present day Aborigines.’