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A Gununa ceremonial headdress |
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consists of sheets of paper barks which have been formed into a cone and
stitched with string to a bark headband at the base.
A bunch of emu feathers has been lashed to a wooden plug to form the apex of the hat.
Twine made from hand-spun human hair has been wound around the outside of the cone
in one continuous spiral covering the entire surface from base to plug.
Vertical stripes of deep-red and white paint decorate the front of the headdress;
natural surfaces with little or no patina. |
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Material: bark, human hair, emu feathers, paint, string; height: 400mm;
oval base: 200mm x 220mm.
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Probably made on Mornington Island in the early 1990s.
Acquired by LukLuk Gallery at auction in Melbourne in 1998.
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In communities where ceremonial life is thriving, art and craft
play an important role in the religious celebrations and commemorations.
All artworks have a potential for ceremonial use.
These elaborate, feathered and painted constructions were worn by dancers of the
Lardil Group of Mornington Island during public phases of circumcision ceremonies.
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See 'Adams, J. 1995' - cat.no.205; p.27 for illustration of similar ceremonial hat
made by Margaret Hills of Gununa (Mornington Island) in the early 1990s.
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See 'Cooper, C. 1981' - p.167 for examples of similar headdresses of the
Lardil Group of Mornington Island.
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