Images(2)

The Makassans - The Muldi

Artist Paddy Wainburranga Fordham (1932-2006)

Date1991

Object number00015152

NameBark painting

MediumOchres, bark

DimensionsOverall: 214.5 × 93.5 mm, 9.5 kg
Display dimensions: 217.5 × 81 × 1 mm, 9.5 kg

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionA bark painting with coloured ochres by Wainburranga (Paddy Fordham) tilted The Makassans - the Muldi. The painting is divided into 12 sections or 'chapters' and tells the story of the Rembarrnga people trading with the Makassan (or Macassan) fishermen and with Northern coastal Aboriginal communities.HistoryThe work is divided into 12 individual sections which are referred to as ‘Chapters’ by the artist. A series of 12 drilled holes appear at top, 6 at centre and 12 at bottom of the work, with some chord wound through each hole and attached to wooden sticks to provide support for the object. The 12 sections represented in the painting have been listed as: Section 1 - the Saratoga saltwater fish is also the wind tester Section 2 - the Rembarrnga and their traditional food Section 3 - Rembarrnga men are preparing the trepang (sea cucumber) to eat Section 4 - a Makassan boat (perahu) is anchored offshore full of trepang, the Makassan fishermen have left their boat to meet with the Rembarrnga Section 5 - the Makassans carry gifts, one man has remained on the small dinghy to make sure that it does not float away Section 6 - the Makassans greet the elder male Rembarrnga Section 7 - a Rembarrnga woman goes with the Makassans in exchange for flour and tobacco Section 8 - the gifts of the Makassans are displayed: trepang, havlock chewing tabacco and smoking tobacco Section 9 - after spending a night with the Makassans, the Rembarrnga woman returns with gifts: flour and tobacco Sections 10-11 - the Makassan and Rembarrnga collect and prepare the trepang with the lobster symbolising the abundance of food in the area Section 12 - the Rembarrnga farewell the Makassans telling them to come back the next season SignificanceWainburranga was an artist that often painted historical stories of colonization and events of cultural exchange, such as this scene depicting the Rembarrnga people and the Makassan traders. Although using traditional Rembarrnga colours and medium, the subject matter here tells a non-traditional story and has a literal sequence of events that non Rembarrnga viewers can interpret.