Kurtal
2005
Ngilpirr Spider Snell
Australian Aboriginal, Wangkajunga people, Fitzroy Crossing, Kimberley, Western Australia, born 1930
Meet Kurtal, a black snake spirit who lives in a sacred waterhole called a jila. This desert spring is the only reliable source of water in all seasons in the artist’s country. Kurtal is the moral protector of the right to use it and the land around it. In ceremonies to honor Kurtal, Ngilpirr Spider Snell carried long black headdresses emulating rain clouds while dancing and singing. When encouraged, Kurtal sends horseshoe-shaped clouds that bring rain. Here, these clouds float above fields dotted with bush onions.
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
83 7/8 x 59 13/16 in. (213 x 152 cm)
Gift of Margaret Levi and Robert Kaplan
2019.20.14
Provenance: [Aboriginal & Pacific Art, Sydney, Australia]; Margaret Levi and Robert Kaplan, Seattle, Washington, 2005
Photo: iocolor, Seattle