Many yiḏaki collectors will appreciate this instrument: perfect shape, playability and the miny’tji (artwork) makes this stick quite unique. The characteristics of this yiḏaki same as other works from Paul Maymuru: easy transition from the drone to the toot, direct sound with rich acoustics and superb craftsmanship. The fine artwork, painted with natural pigments, depicts the Milky Way: this particular design belongs to the Maŋgalili clan who sing the song-cycle about the two ancestral beings who were drown close to the river-mouth of the Milŋiyawuy river (named as Koolatong by ŋäpaki/white man) after their canoe was tipped over by a huge tidal wave (an event sung by different Yolŋu clan-groups in the area). As the Yolŋu historical accounts say, the spirits of the men then became stars and entered into a never-ending cycle of incarnation and re-incarnation from human beings into stars again. Yolŋu use the Milŋiyawuy river as an analogue to pass on an immense sacred and sacred story that ties the Maŋgalili ancestral beings, some totemic figures, the river, the land around Djarrakpi (a nearby homeland at Cape Shield) and the Milky Way together.
Key: F
Length: 132.5cm
Mouthpiece internal diameter: 3cm
Available from NSW, Australia with worldwide shipping
For details and specifications see ‘Additional information‘ tab below.
Listen to this yiḏaki here:
