Biḏ’yunawuy miṉḏirr (painted conical basket)

This painted design on this bathi or basket is the innovation of Margaret Rarru Garrawurra and has commented: “Ŋarra marŋgi. Yan ŋarra maḻŋ’maraŋal ḻiyaŋur. Rraku guyanhawuy, ya balanya./I know. I just found it in my head. It was an idea, it was like that.”
The design references the relationship between the Birritjama and Gamaḻaŋga clans. These clans are both Dhuwa and they are yapa’manydji or sister clans that share a connection to riny’tjaŋu (wild carrot). Rarru’s märi or mother’s mother is Birritjama (Ḻiyagalawumirr). This means that she, and her sister, Helen Ganalmirriwuy Garrawurra, hold the role of märi-waṯaŋu for this clan. As märi-waṯaŋu Rarru and Ganalmirriwuy have rights and responsibilities regarding the songs, designs and rituals associated with the Birritjama. The sisters have explained that Gamaḻaŋga and Birritjama share the story and designs for the riny’tjaŋu (wild carrot), but that their manikay or sacred songline has a different ḻiya (tune).
Rarru and Ganalmirriwuy made the conscious decision to make riny’tjaŋu bags for the Gallery’s collection in response to the historical work ‘Liyagalawumirr bathi (basket)’ c1950s in the Gallery’s collection (accession number IA143.1962) as it belongs to their märi or grandmother’s clan. Ganalmirriwuy echoes the design on this historical work in ‘Biḏi’yunawuy miṉḏirr (painted conical basket)’ (accession number 158.2022), while Rarru offers her own interpretation in this work. The sisters have also studied historical examples of Liyagalawumirr weavings at the Museum der Kulturen Basel and Musée d'ethnographie de Genève, both in Switzerland.
This text draws heavily on the artwork certificate provided by Milingimbi Art and Culture which was written by Salome Harris based on information provided by Helen Galamirriwuy Garrawurra and Margaret Rarru Garrawurra.