This work is an example of a phase where the artist of her own motion explored lesser known plant species which she feared were being forgotten by younger generations. This coincided with artist John Wolseley’s interest in returning to Yilpara (after they had met during the Djalkiri project of 2010) and the two spent an extended period exploring the botany of Blue Mud Bay. She wants to renew the knowledge of these plants because when she was young this is the food that she grew up on. In those days old people lived for a long time without illness. John Wolseley spent a week at Yilpara with Mulkun in May 2012 and has visited to work together again at Yirrkala in June 2013, June 2014, May and December 2015 and October 2016.

Below is the Yolŋu Dictonary entry for ḏarwirr.

Meaning: vine – creeper Lawyer Vine, armband (made from this vine). A synonym of ḏarwirr is: baku, guwatjuru (vine); djaḻi, ŋanybak (armband).

Always capitalise? No
Part of speech: noun

The conical woven basket is a sacred form which has ceremonial metaphoric meaning. It is also the age old form which Yolŋu have always used as a receptacle for important possessions and gathered food. In ceremony Bol’pu, as they are known, can be adorned with feathers and take on a sacred character. There are feminine references in this form. Making these things is very labour intensive. Gathering the materials can be quite exhausting. This work is almost always done by women in groups.

The particular plant used in the creation of this piece is Ḏarwirr, also known as guwatjuru.

Ḏarwirr

Flagellaria indica

‘flagellaria’

• A perennial climbing vine, with strong bamboo-like flexible stems
• Long thin leaves, with curly tips to 35 centimetres in length
• Small white flowers with a pleasant fragrance
• Globular fruit to 1cm in diameter; pink to red when ripe
• Strong and flexible stems, sometimes very long
• Grows in monsoon vine forests and thickets near water; occurs across northern Australia, north of Mataranka.

This ḏarwirr vine is also used to make armbands. The stems are split again and again until they are very thin and shaved to make them smooth and then measured against the arm of the wearer. The stem is then bent into a perfect circle and bound with string made from Dharraŋgulk (Kurrajong), Manuŋunya, Burrumburr or Ḏawu (Banyan). In the old days everyone wore armbands all the time, just normal ones. In ceremonies the armbands (especially the Wäyuk with feathers attached) must be sung before slipping them on the arms of the wearer. This is because the Darwirr is like the skeleton which holds the sacred designs of the feathers which represent each clan distinctly, either Yirritja or Dhuwa. The Darwirr is used again and again for years.