Crocodile with figure in mouth
Sculptor
Bob Burruwal
(1952)
Datec 2004
Object number00040030
NameSculpture
MediumNatural fibre, paint
DimensionsOverall: 2900 x 1000 x 200 mm
Copyright© Bob Burruwal
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis crocodile sculpture with a Wurum figure in its mouth was woven from materials including different types of grasses, flax, pandanus and spun animal fur. The Indigenous people of Maningrida are well known for their fibre sculptures with the artist Bob Burruwal being a member of the Maningrida Arts and Culture Centre.HistoryManingrida is situated on the North Central Arnhem Land coast of the Arafura Sea, about 500 km east of Darwin. It has a strong Indigenous art community who are well known for their basket weaving, fibre sculptures and carvings.
The traditional practice of making fibre sculptures is specifically related to the people of Maningrida. Weaving practical and cultural objects is an important part of their culture and traditions. They are produced by stuffing paperbark or pandanus into a three dimensional figure and then painting it with natural pigments. Often these sculptures represent echidnas, bandicoots, camp dogs, crocodiles, pigs or mice. They commonly refer to ancestral events or stories from the region and the artists utilise natural materials from Maningrida in their designs.
SignificanceThis work reflects the artists from Maningrida, Arnhem Land and in particular the artist Bob Burruwal. It is associated with the people belonging to the Rembarrnga language group in the Dhuwa moiety. The woven fibres in this work represent the natural materials that are characteristic of the Maningrida region. 
