Jericha Marrkula Manila, Baypinga (Saratoga) Weaving, 214x60cm

• Aboriginal Artist - Jericha Marrkula Manila
• Community - Gapuwiyak
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts
• Catalogue number - 22-1428
• Materials - Pandanus, natural dyes.
• Size(cm) - H60 W214 D5
• Postage Variant - Sent flat

Baypinga are tasty freshwater fish, but they also carry a creator ancestor story. The songline for Baypinga includes a sacred site near Malnyanganak, a homeland on the Blyth River south of Ramingining. The songline stretches north and includes stories about Baypinga travelling to the saltwater after the wet season rains to feed on small yabbies. The freshwater runoff eventually meets the saltwater estuary and Baypinga turns back because of the salt. A shark ancestor travelled back with Baypinga and lives in the freshwater. At Malnyanganak the songline includes a story about the King Brown snake and an escarpment that blocks Baypinga from travelling further up the river, so Baypinga jumps over the snake and lands further east in the Gurruwiling (Arafura Swamp) at Mirringaytja. These songlines belong to the Bandawungu, Balngarra, and Wanggitj clans and are linked to other Dhuwa clans.

Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts Aboriginal Corporation is a recent initiative of the remote East Arnhem Land community of Gapuwiyak, also known as Lake Evella. The organisation is not-for-profit. It was created to enhance the wellbeing of Yolngu people living in the region by supporting their cultural practices, values and intellectual property while providing opportunities for leadership, meaningful employment, and professional development.

Pandanus are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs, their leaves “pandan” is commonly used in traditional handicrafts. The young leaves are harvested and sliced into fine strips, followed by a colouring process, in which the strips are placed in drums of bush dyes, roots and leaves from different plants sourced in the area. Dye is extracted through bashing and crushing techniques, and then added to the water with the pandanus to create these vivid hues. The pandan strips are then woven into intricate baskets and mats or rolled into ropes for other designs.

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