Manharrngu mortuary rites

David Daymirringu Malangi was one of the most talented bark painters of his time. He gained nationwide fame in the 1960s after one of his works was reproduced without his consent on Australia’s first $1 note. Malangi claimed his authorship of the design and the ensuing prominent legal case eventually led to his receiving a royalty fee from the Australian Mint, flagging publicly that Aboriginal artists held intellectual property rights deserving of recognition.

Manharrngu mortuary rites, painted the year after the $1 note was released, depicts the same scene as the misappropriated design, one of the Arnhem Land artist’s main themes. It represents the funeral of Gurrmirringu, a creator ancestor and great hunter who died from a snake bite while cooking a wallaby under a white berry tree. The painting superbly illustrates the artist’s distinctively bold line work and striking composition.

Barry Patton, Tarnanthi Writer & Researcher