 |
 |
An Account of Exploring the Kimberley |
|
|
|
|
|
Plate 19 (1)
|
| Figure |
19(1)* |
| Location |
Moran River |
GPS Coordinates
|
Undisclosed |
| Site Number |
1 |
| Other Plates from this site |
20(1)*, 21(1)*, 22(1)*, 23(1)*, 24(1)* |
| Location Plate |
25(1)* |
Location
Description |
Art site is in overhang on northern side of Moran River. The Moran River in this locality is enclosed in a deep gorge, and the overhang is towards the base of the gorge wall. Some climbing uplarge rock slabs is required to reach the art site.
|
|
Comments
|
This panel is on a vertical rock wall. The art is not well preserved and is partially obscured by calcite deposits leached from the rock. The panel is high up the rock wall. It is higher than a person could reach and it appears that the slabs of rock the artists were standing on have since fallen down. This made the art difficult to photograph. The human figures depicted are approximately 60cm long.
|
| Interpretation |
Six distinguishable Bradshaw figures are overlain by a more recent 'jellyfish' painting. The Bradshaw figures are a faded mulberry colour and the 'jellyfish' painting is orangey-red. All the Bradshaw figures have plan view bodies and most have profile view heads. Five of the Bradshaw figures are standing upright with straight or slightly bent arms and legs. The figure on the right is bending to the right. All six figures appear to be facing left and have headdresses that are almost upright or leaning to the right. The four figures furthest to the right have pompom tips on their dunce cap-like headdresses. Five of the figures have waist decorations. A majority of these waist decorations are triple tassels. The two figures furthest to the right have wrist, upper arm and armpit decorations. The figure furthest to the right is associated with two spears but is not holding them. The headdress of the bent over figure is different to the others and appears to consist of streamers. It is difficult to distinguish which figure is wearing the streamers. They may be the waist decoration of the figure to the right. Where the hands of the figures are preserved, they show fingers, however, toes are not depicted. The feet of all figures, where discernible, are all facing left. The figure third from the right is missing sections from the midsection, which may indicate these sections were painted with a different, less stable colour. The close association and similarity of the Bradshaw figures suggest they were created as a single work. The triple tassel waist decorations identify these figures as 'Tassel Bradshaws'.
|
→ To read the account of Dan Clark exploring the Kimberley
click here
