Lot 75: BEN TIPUNGWUTI , UNTITLED TIWI FIGURE c. 1960

Natural earth pigments, hair, and resin on carved ironwood

height: 62.5 cm

Executed at Nguiu, Bathurst Island
Acquired by the owner from the gallery of tribal art dealer, Stephen Kellner, Sydney in 1972
Private collection, Sydney

Cf. Mountford C.P., The Tiwi, Their Art, Myth and Ceremony, Phoenix House, London, 1958, pl. 40 and 41, for illustrations of six related figurative carvings dating from the 1950s.

This carving is sold with a copy of an accompanying letter written by Brother John Pye, the Head of St Therese's Mission on Nguiu, Bathurst Island, written in 1977 whereby he identified the carving as 'definitely' by Ben Tipungwuti, from an earlier period in time. In the letter he recounts how the first figuritive carvings were created on Bathurst Island in 1952, and that the decoration is representative of body markings reflecting the artist's tribal skin group. Another example of the artist's work is held at the National Museum of Australia.