Australian Aboriginal bark painting, "Namarrkon - The Lightning Spirit", in natural ochre, charcoal and kaolin with natural binder. Signed “Neville Mardday” on the reverse.

Neville Mardday (aka Neville Marrday, Neville Marbday, Neville Mardai) is Kunwinjku/ Oenpelli/Namugarbadu, born ca. 1935. Acquired personally at Raintree Gallery, Darwin, NT Australia in 1990

"When the wet monsoon season starts to build up in November, Namarrkon flies up into the sky and sits on storm clouds made by the Rainbow Serpent. From there he emits deep growls of thunder and sends lightning flashes across the sky, although no rain falls until the Rainbow Serpent releases it. This high vantage point allows Namarrkon to keep a close watch on the Aboriginal people living below to see if they are observing codes of good behaviour, conducting sacred ceremonies, and passing on history and religion to the uninitiated in their tribe. If Namarrkon sees anything which displeases him, he plucks one of the stone axes from his knee or elbow joints and hurls it at the offender. Sometimes he misses and cleaves a tree in two."

(Source: Wisdom from the Earth, Voigt & Drury)

Bark paintings are created by stripping bark from a eucalyptus tree, flattening it, cleaning it and painting with, natural pigments, then securing with sticks at each end. 17 1/2" x 47 1/2" #AGW758