Dupun (Hollow Log Coffin)

Date1997

Label TextDupun, the ceremony that takes a eucalyptus log hollowed naturally by termites and infuses it with the bones of the deceased, is depicted on this hollow log. Philip Gudthaykudthay is a senior artist and ritual leader who has been painting since the 1960s. Nicknamed Pussycat for one of his principal totems, the native cat, artist's languid gait and stealth are said to reinforce the connection. Before painting, he worked as a fencer, stockman and crocodile hunter. Recently he appeared as a sorcerer in a feature film entitled Ten Canoes.

Object number2005.153

Provenance[Bula’bula Arts, Ramingining, Australia]; Margaret Levi and Robert Kaplan, Seattle, Washington, 1997

Photo CreditPhoto by Paul Macapia

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Sorry Business, July 30, 2001 - January 2, 2006Published ReferencesSeattle Art Museum: Bridging Cultures, London: Scala Publishers Ltd. for the Seattle Art Museum, 2007, p. 36, illus. p. 37

Credit LineGift of Margaret Levi and Robert Kaplan, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum

Dimensions53 1/4 x 4 3/4 in. (135.3 x 12.1cm)

MediumEarth pigments on hollow log