The wira is a smaller version of the piti or wooden bowl which is a traditional woman’s carrying vessel for food and water. It is used in many ways including as a ladle for collecting water and for digging with.
As most contemporary Maruku artists use walka, patterns burnt into the wood with wire heated on a wood fire to relate Tjukurpa, stories about the Tjukuritja or Creation Ancestors and the activities which shaped the land, the people and their Law.
Details
Artist: Dianne Strangways
Title: Wira (Collecting Bowl)
Size: Length: 58cm x Width: 25.5cm x Height: 13.5cm
Medium: 'Itara' - River Red Gum branch, Eucalyptus camaldulensis