Anwekety (Conkerberry) by Polly Ngale (SOLD)

Superimposed dotwork in earthy colours are heavily subdued by a cottony white overlay making this oversized painting something remarkably soft and special by Polly Ngale, who is almost 80 years of age. A timeless piece.

Dot work in this painting represents anwekety (conkerberries), it's Dreaming story belonging to Polly's country, Ahalpere.

The conkerberry (also often called bush plum), is a sweet black berry that is favoured by desert aboriginals. They only grow on the plant (Carissa lanceolata) for a few weeks of the year, however Polly’s people collect plenty of them and store them dry, soaking them in water again before being consumed. The plant of the conkerberry is a tangled, spiny shrub that can grow up to 2m high. After rain fragrant white flowers bloom. This plant also bares medicinal properties. The orange inner bark from the roots can be soaked in water and the resultant solutions can be used as a medicinal wash. This is particularly favoured for skin and eye conditions. The thorns on the shrub can be used to cure warts.

Artist:

Name: Polly Ngale
Skin name: Ngale
Language group: Anmatyerre
Country: Ahalpere
Area: Utopia Region, Central Australia
Born: c. 1936

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• Medium: Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen
• Background colour: Black
• Size of painting: 210cm x 150cm
• Border: Approx 2cm strip of black border designed to be wrapped around a 2cm deep stretcher frame. Plus approx 6cm of natural coloured linen overhang.
• This painting comesunstretched and rolled in a tube.
• This painting comes with a Certificate of Authenticityand artist profile.