Wandjina Bark Bucket

Kimberley region, Western Australia, Australia (map), c. 1980

Eucalyptus bark, pigments, pitch

12.5” h X 9.5”d (32.5 x 25 cm )

Condition: Some loss of material at the top (see top-right, bottom-right photos)

SOLD

Bark buckets, of which few pre–1970 examples survive, were traditionally made by the Aborigines of the Kimberley region to store food and water. The example at hand, dating to the 1980s, features striking and unusual imagery.

This bark bucket is decorated with Wandjina, kangaroo, echidna, and another unascertained marsupial.