Extremely Rare Josie Napangardi Aboriginal Dot Art canvas, Coolamon & Boomerang

Description

I really don’t know what any of these items are worth.  The canvases for similar pieces are offered in the range from 0 to ,000.  Hopefully somewhere with greater knowledge that is willing to share will assist me in finding a fair value for these.  The canvas is a very rare piece documented by Josie Napangardi.  I fully suspect that these items are valued very much closer to the 0 range than the ,000 but I really don’t know.  This piece represents an era where Aboriginal women were making their first venture into dot art and very few documented their work.
About 40 years ago, my good friend was stationed in Alice Springs and purchased these on my behalf.  I did some research on them and here is what I found.
Aboriginal Dot Art canvas
From Claire, manager of
Aboriginal Art Directory in Australia:
“
The artist Josie Napangardi is associated with Alcoota, 200km NE of Alice Springs, which is known for its fossil beds (there is an Alcoota fossil in the Todd Street Mall). Josie Napangardi worked at the Engawala Clinic there (with the NT Dept of Health and Community Services circa 1994) so I’m supposing this is her home.
There are a few high-profile Napangardi artists including Dorothy, so you might ask if she is related.
The work itself shows people sitting around a campfire - the wavy lines might either be smoke or water.”
From Engawala Clinic:
“Hi there, what a nice painting you have... but like yourself I don't have any information on Josie, I also have a few older pieces like this but the artist has not signed or is unknown... unfortunately 40 years ago there was little record keeping especially from the remote west, come to think of it... it hasn't really changed much Remote WA and NT is still outback and out of touch. I would suggest finding some elders or indigenous art dealers from the area to ask.”
From
Roslyn Premont, Director of Gallery Gondwana in Australia:
“To me this painting looks more like the style of work that was done in the late ’80’s - both in style and the fact that women rarely painted until then.
Although I don’t know the artist it looks like a classic bush food painting done most likely by someone of the Warlpiri language group although it might also be of the Luritja or Anmatjera language group.
As the Bush Potato Dreaming is an important and widely associated with many dreaming sites I have included some background for you on the story.
This painting tells the Dreamtime story of two women of the Napurrula and Nakamarra skin groups who are searching the countryside for bush potatoes. When they search for food the women always take coolomon dishes and digging sticks, their basic hunting equipment.
Bush potatoes grow as roots underground, so the women must use the digging sticks to find them. The potatoes are collected in the coolomon dishes and carried back to camp to be cooked in hot coals.
The circle in the middle represents the hole that the women dig to find the potatoes. The meandering lines represent the complex root system of the bush potato plant. The colours indicate the variety of flowers that the bush potato can have depending on the conditions under which it grows. This Dreaming took place in the Northern Territory.”
Aboriginal Coolamon Carved Mulga Wood Bowl 80's Vintage
Included is a handmade 80's Vintage Aboriginal Coolamon, carved from Mulga Wood and decorated with burnished poker wood art.
Coolamons are an oval multi-purpose shallow vessel or dish with curved sides that are made from sections of Mulga, White or River Red Gum and from Beanwood in West Australia.
Coolamon is traditionally used by Indigenous Australian Women for gathering water, bush tucker, fruits, seeds, winnowing grains in the traditional bread-making process, general cooking vessel and were also used to carry or cradle the tribes babies. They could even be used as a hat or umbrella. The design on a coolamon generally depicts the bush foods that the women would collect. They are painted or plain as well as burnt and incised (Pokerwork) on the exterior with various designs.
The art of wood carving and making Coolamons are generally made by the men and have always been part of the Aboriginal culture... out of necessity, using only the most rudimentary of tools, the aboriginals carved wood for many purposes... tools to hunt with, gather food, to build shelters, boats for traveling, fishing, for protection, for ceremony and dance and to mark sacred sites. The carvers and artifact makers have passed their knowledge to successive generations, who are continuing the make these collectable items with the same clever craftsmanship as their Traditional Elders.
CONDITION:
This item is Vintage 80's, Pre-owned and it is in very good condition. There are no splits, chips, cracks or damage to the wood. The coolamon is watertight, it has a nice naturally aged patina. The item in the Photos is the one that you will receive.
WEIGHT & MEASUREMENTS:
This weighs 397 gm. approximately unpacked and measures 28 cm long (11 inches) x 15 cm wide (6 inches) x 8.25 cm (3.25 inches) deep
All measurements are approximate only.
Dot Boomerang
I have not been able to find any boomerang with this design.
CONDITION:
This item is Vintage 80's, Pre-owned and it is in excellent condition. There are no splits, chips, cracks or damage to the wood.  The item in the Photos is the one that you will receive.
WEIGHT & MEASUREMENTS:
This weighs 395 gm. approximately unpacked and measures 74 cm long (29 inches) x 5.7 cm wide (2 ¼ inches)
All measurements are approximate only.
No returns.
Not shipping internationally for this item.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need to see additional photos of the item and I will respond to the best of my knowledge.
Your feedback rating is important for me, so please contact me first if you are unhappy with your purchase. Please give us opportunity to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Combined Shipping &Handling Policy:
First or Highest price purchase – as per listing
Second and up to four additional purchases – half of listing price
Five and more purchase – free on these
Wait for us to send invoice
We do not accept any other form of payment other then PayPal.