Water carrying vessel carved from the
gnarled protuberance of a eucalyptus tree.
Fire-sticks from Aurukun, Queensland,
called 'thumpup'.
A rare bark shield made by Koolmatrie of
the Kaurna from Point Mcleay,
South Australia, in 1914.
Pitjantjatjara women from Amata making
carrying dishes from the roots of the central
Australian river red gums.
The fire-sticks are kept in a bamboo and wax
container decorated with red abrus seeds.
The simple design is painted with animal fat,
white clay and red ochre.
The dishes, or 'piti', vary in shape and size
depending on their use for winnowing, digging
or for carrying loads. The 'piti' are decorated
with designs burned into the surface which
record the travels of the ancestral beings.
.
Water carrying vessel carved from the
gnarled protuberance of a eucalyptus tree.
