Description:

Leslie Ngaboy or Leslie Ngabooy (Australian, second half of the 20th century CE), Gunbalanya, Mankorlod region of western Arnhem Land, ca. late 20th century CE. Signed on the verso. A gorgeous sheet of eucalyptus bark incised and painted using natural pigments to create an emu, known as "kurdukadji" in the artists' native Kunwinjku language. The emu sits, its legs curled up, its neck dipped down so that its face is near the outstretched arm of an anthropomorphic being that sits small and cross-legged behind the bird. A bag and thin pieces of foliage on either side of the two central figures complete the painted composition. This painting may reference the dreamtime story in which an old woman, neglected by her grandchildren, ate hot coals used for cooking and transformed into an emu, with the hot rocks becoming the hard breast that the bird uses to strike plum trees and knock down the fruit for a meal. Size: 9.2" W x 22.1" H (23.4 cm x 56.1 cm)

A work by the artist and his wife is exhibited at the Museums Victoria, in Melbourne, Australia: https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/1773950

Provenance: ex-private Tucson, Arizona, USA collectionex-private Tucson, Arizona, USA collection; ex-Ron Perry collection; Ron Perry collected art and artifacts for more than 40 years in New Guinea and the South Pacific. He collaborated with Carolyn Leigh to write a book entitled, "Art Dealer in the Last Unknown: Ron Perry & New Guinea Art: the early years 1964-1972" (2011)

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#130005

  • Condition: Excellent. Signed on the back in black pigment.

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March 1, 2018 7:00 AM MST
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Artemis Fine Arts

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