Nyapilingu Wapitja by Baluka Maymuru, 120cm

This elegant and meticulously engraved sculpture, titled Nyapilingu Wapitja , is crafted from hardwood and painted with earth pigments. Measuring 120 cm in length, it showcases the exceptional artistry and cultural depth of Baluka Maymuru, a senior custodian of the Mangalili clan.

The Mangalili clan traces its origins to the ancestral Guwak people. In their manifestation as the koel cuckoo, the Guwak discovered the sacred Marawili tree, a place of spiritual significance. This carving represents Nyapilingu, the woman creator being, who is a central figure in the Dreaming narratives of this land.

Nyapilingu is a spirit woman who lived during the Wangarr (Dreaming) times. She embarked on a journey from Ambakamba (Groote Eylandt) in a paperbark canoe, traveling across to the mainland and then north and west along the central Arnhem Land coast. As she moved through the land, she left her mark on the country, with each site she visited commemorated in song and dance by the people.

Nyapilingu played a pivotal role in sharing cultural knowledge with the communities she encountered. To maintain her modesty, she wrapped herself in paperbark so men could not see her body—a tradition women followed thereafter. Using her wapitja (digging stick), she gathered food, stripped bark from stringybark trees, and crafted containers from paperbark, which she carried on her head. These activities, along with her teachings, remain symbolic of her to this day. Nyapilingu also taught women to search for and prepare vuku (water lily) for eating and to make string and weave pandanus for bathi (dilly bags). The cross-shaped arrangement of possum fur string she wore across her chest is a distinctive emblem associated with her.

The intricate carvings on Nyapilingu Wapitja hold deep cultural significance for the Mangalili clan. The bands of garters, representing the burrkun (possum fur string), and the wavy-line patterns are exclusive to the Mangalili and carry multiple layers of meaning, tied to both ceremonial and ancestral narratives. This remarkable sculpture encapsulates the richness of Yolŋu culture, telling the enduring story of Nyapilingu and her contributions to the land and its people.