the story of Djirit

the story of Djirit, 1918–1965

Where object was made: Yirrkala, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia

Material/technique: pigment; eucalyptus tree bark

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 172.5 x 54 x 9.5 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 67 15/16 x 21 1/4 x 3 3/4 in

Credit line: Gift of Edward L. Ruhe

Accession number: 1971.0166

Not on display

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Label texts

label copy, date unknown:
In this Dreamtime story, the boy Djirit refused to share some cooked fish with his fisherman father one morning. When his father at the end of the day appeared with a catch of fish, the boy begged a shared. The father now refusing the son, Djirit threw a tantrum and presently turned into a sea hawk. The father, and also Djirit's grandfather (shown in the picture mending a dilly bag), flinging themselves about in their grief, likewise turned into sea hawks. The mother and grandmother (shown gathering food) saw the strange metamorphoses and changed into a crow and an emu.