Sesere Bu Shell
Artist
Alick Tipoti
(1975)
Date2015
Object number00055700
NameSculpture
MediumFibreglass
DimensionsDisplay dimensions: 500 × 1570 × 605 mm
Copyright© Alick Tipoti
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased by the ANMM Foundation
DescriptionA fibreglass sculpture of a trumpet shell by Alick Tipoti. On one end of the shell is a Willy Wagtail bird.
The scuplture represents the story of Sesserae who was the innovator of dugong hunting techniques and tools. It is a tale unique to Badu Island where Tipoti lives. His land on Badu adjoins the beach in the Sesserae story so it is very pertinent to him.
HistoryThe tale of Sessaerae is specific to Badu Island. In the tale, Sessaerae dreams of his dead parents who tell him how to catch dugong, a prized food in the Torres Strait. Sessaerae listens to his parents and builds the first nath (dugong hunting platform) and successfully harpoons a dugong. However, jealous enemies from other clans try to kill Sessaerae for his coveted dugong meat they see hanging at his house. To disguise himself, Sessaerae transforms into a bird, the Willy Wagtail. This bird species is known for his cunningness and his dislike of sharing food. It is also known for being a powerful spiritual being and soon, those pursuing Sessaerae are all dead.
Those living on Badu Island, still known for their dugong hunting skills, credit Sessaerae for this.
SignificanceAlick Tipoti is one of the most important Zenadh Kes artists of his generation and highly respected for his work in regenerating cultural knowledge, practices and language through his art, guided by the traditional cultural practices of his people. Tipoti’s diverse storytelling encompasses traditional cosmology, marine environment and ocean conservation and at the essence, what it is to be a sea person.
