SAM_A_60350

Title: A message stick from Yirrkala held in the South Australian Museum, and reproduced in in Mountford's "Art, myth and symbolism" (1956)

Description: Wooden, incised message stick from the South Australian Museum A message stick from Mauwulan to a white man, requesting items for him and his wife

Message: Figure 66D is a message stick which Mauwulan, one of my informants, asked a member of the expedition to deliver to a white man who had visited Yirrkalla previously. The message stick was a reminder to the recipient about a number of articles he had promised to send to Mauwulan and his wife. The upper part of the message stick dealt largely with the requirements of Mauwulan's wife. The lines a are a request for two skirts, b for two singlets, c a hair comb, d a mirror, and e a bottle of hair oil; f is Mauwulan's request for a turtle rope, and p for many fish-hooks. On the lower panel, Mauwulan is asking at g for much tobacco, at h for a mirror, o a hair comb, r a knife, j a pair of trousers, m two short trousers, and n a belt. The four crescent shapes indicate the many moons since the articles were promised. p. 469. "The upper part of the message stick dealt largely with the requirements of Mauwulan's wife. The lines a are a request for two skirts, b for two singlets, c a hair comb, d a mirror, and e a bottle of hair oil; f is Mauwulan's request for a turtle rope, and p for many fish-hooks."

Creator of Object: Mauwulan

Date Created: 1948

Notes on date created: Year of American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land

Item type: message stick in a collection

Subtype: traditional

State/Territory: NT

Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Dhangu Austlang: N192 - Dhangu Glottolog: dhan1270

Notes on linguistic areas: The origin of the message stick is Yirrkala, Northern Territory, Australia

Cultural region: TopEnd_arnhem_east

Sources:

Charles P Mountford, 'Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 1, Art, Myth and Symbolism' (Carlton: Melbourne University Press, 1956).

Source types: museum collection

Date collected: 1948; Date registered: 25. Feb 1970

Institution/Holder file: The South Australian Museum object identifier: A-60350

Collector: Charles P Mountford and the AASEAL; Purchased from: Mountford, Charles P.

Coordinates: 12°15'10.000800"S,136°53'30.001200"E  (-12.252778, 136.891667)

Media copyright: The South Australian Museum

Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Yirrkala

Notes: AR: SAM register: "'Armhemland, Art, Myth and Symbolism', p470D. Coll. CPM." 11.02.2026 PK: Previously CPM1956P470F66_D Mountford wrote that "Whilst at Yirrkalla and Oenpelli I had to fly to Darwin several times on expedition matters. Each time I went one or more aborigines have me message sticks to deliver to their friends at Darwin. My procedure (after I had made a record of the message stick either by a sketch or a rubbing) was to write the meanings of the various symbols on a sheet of paper, wrap the paper round the message stick and enclose it in an envelope, on the outside of which I wrote the name of the recipient as a guide to my memory. When I delivered the message stick, which I did on all but two occasions, I was able to explain to the recipient the significance of the marks on the message stick by referring to my notes." p. 467. Figure designed by Jean Truran

Media Files:

Data Entry: Olena Tykhostup, Piers Kelly, Alexandra Roginski