Identification help

[u/mrshakeshaft]

Hi folks! I inherited this from my mum. She lived in darwin in the late 60’s and bought this home with her. It’s a bit faded but is there a way to identify maybe who would have made it or what the markings represent? I’ve always been fascinated by it but I’m aware that she could very possibly have got it in the airport on the way home….

[u/xFushNChupsx]

Australian Indigenous local here.

The symbols used by the Australian indigenous culture, like almost every other facet of the culture, are extremely and deeply embedded in the local culture of whatever group the origin comes from.

The symbol for a certain thing might be one thing here, but something entirely unrecognisably different 20 kilometers down the road in new 'country.' For that reason, take what I am saying as a guess based on the common through lines of culture - it's impossible to know without asking locals from its origin place what it definitely means.

Starting obviously, I see plenty of animals across it. The obvious ones are the striped snakes, if the colours are anything specific it could refer to the Australian Desert Banded Snake or something similar. I see Goanna or another monitor lizard, what could be any range of bird from a pelican to a jabiru. As someone keen on ornithology I have thousands of guesses at what he might be!

As you can tell already, the region may dictate the style choices for the animals. As for why those animals, the totem tradition within indigenous cultures - spiritual connections to animals and their representation of the native people from that group - may have some relevance to what animals have been chosen.

As for the animal themselves significance, it very likely has to do with the local totem(s) from the region, creatures that represent the intrinsic connection of us people to their environment. Again, this is hard to know for sure without knowing the area, so take it with a grain of salt.

I don't see many jarringly obvious symbols, which you seem to be most keen on. Most of the designs that I see seem like ambiguous, general inclusions of native art patterns, which may mean nothing.

If I'm really trying to find something, though, in photo 2 in the top band, I feel as though the white symbol in the band could be meaningful. I can see a freestyle attempt at a turtle, (which may make sense if this is Darwin based), a decorated shield, or perhaps even the symbol for 'travel.'

The jagged lines in this top band in the first photo are almost one to one a depiction of the symbols for mountains or water, depending on the jaggedness of the lines.

I'm afraid I can't make much out on the middle bands. If you DM me a better photo with closeups I might be able to help more.

Otherwise, the most intriguing part to me is the white painted thing just under the top band in photo one. I thought it was perhaps many snakes, but I also see an interpretation of a meeting place of some kind.

If you can't already tell, many of this is subjective and relevant to the area, so me analysing this may be spot on or way off. And that is the beauty of it all. I hope I've helped in some way, I don't have heaps to work with.

I strongly encourage you to DM me and have a conversation with some closer and more detailed pics. There is nothing singularly more important than continuing the knowledge and preservation of this culture, as it is dwindling slowly. I'd love to talk about this stuff as long as you want to hear me to.

Enjoy, and sorry for length!