Description
This work tells a story about the ocean around Murruŋga, an island north east of Milingimbi associated with the Mälarra clan. In the painting you can see the bäday (seaweed), murrumurru (small yellow tail fish), dikarr (flying fish), and larratjatja (barracuda) that all belong there. The artist David Roy says “it’s like a garden”.
Bäḏay is strong and can be used as rope when harvested from the sea, but is also a term used to refer to twined rope made from balgurr (Kurrajong) that is use for turtle and dugong hunting. The three strings that are twined to make this rope are said to be symbolic of the three Dhuwa Yan-nhaŋu clans, Maḻarra, Gamaḻaŋga and Gorryindi working together. These three clans are all associated with Murruŋga.
