Superb Pre- Papunya painting of the Kalilpimppinpa Water Dreaming on ceremonial shield
Papunya Painting on a ceremonial shield
Object type: Shield
Locality: Western Desert Australia
Artist: Unknown
Circa: 1960’s
Length: 63.5 cm
Description: This rare pre-Papunya shield embodies the Kalilpimppinpa Water Dreaming, a sacred narrative central to rainmaking ceremonies of the Western Desert. At its core are five concentric circles, each signifying interconnected waterholes created by ancestral beings whose journeys embedded spiritual power into country. The cascading dotted infill at each end evokes rainfall, a visual precursor to the innovations of Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula and the Papunya movement.
Beyond its striking abstraction, the shield served a profound ceremonial role. Used in ritual performance, it invoked the presence of the rain-making deity Kalilpimppinpa, ensuring the renewal of life through water in an arid land. Its form and design are very organic.
Objects associated with Kalilpimppinpa are rare and highly sought after, bridging the ceremonial traditions of the desert with the genesis of contemporary Aboriginal painting. This shield stands as both ceremonial implement and painted map of ancestral law, carrying forward one of the most vital Dreamings of the Western Desert.
Price: Sold