funeral corroboree: dance of visiting tribe

Balilbalil, artist

Cultural affiliations: Kunwinjku

active 1950–1965

funeral corroboree: dance of visiting tribe, 1950–1965

Where object was made: Oenpelli (present-day Gunbalanya), Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia

Material/technique: plant fiber; wood; eucalyptus tree bark; pigment

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 69 x 49 x 3.5 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 27 3/16 x 19 5/16 x 1 3/8 in

Credit line: Gift of Edward L. Ruhe

Accession number: 1971.0169

Not on display

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The Object Speaks

Australian Aboriginal beliefs center on the “Dreamtime,” an all-encompassing concept that conflates the past, present, and future and unites the physical, spiritual, and ancestral worlds. Aborigines interact with the Dreamtime, also known as “The Dreaming,” by participating in a corroboree—a social gathering that involves ritual movement, music, and singing. This painting is one from a series of six that depict two Aboriginal tribes meeting for a funeral corroboree. Here, members from the visiting tribe dance and play instruments vital to a successful corroboree, namely the didgeridoo (upper left) and clap sticks (top center and right), which provide the rhythmic repetition necessary to interact with the Dreamtime.