Pukamani pole
1999
Standing in extreme contrast to figural poles, this pole depicts the human form as a stack of geometric shapes. Leon Puruntatameri states, "I mainly use poles for burial sites. I do body painting design, a lot of detail. My father showed me how to carve, how to paint." Learning from the past but adapting to the present, Leon's father would have carved his poles out of bloodwood and painted with natural ochres which gradually deteriorated at a gravesite. Current carvers use ironwood and fixatives to ensure the longevity of their poles.
Natural pigments with fixative on ironwood
Gift of Margaret Levi and Robert Kaplan, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum
2005.155
Provenance: [Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association, Winnellie, Australia]; Margaret Levi and Robert Kaplan, Seattle, Washington, 2000
