- Title: Mankung Dans Daluk – Available only as a part of the Bardayal Bim folio
- Artist: Bardayal Nadjamerrek
- Region: Arnhem Land
- Art Centre: Injalak Arts and Crafts
- Medium: Etching
- Collection: Bardayal Bim
- Dimensions: 75 x 57 cm
- Edition Size: 30
- Price ($AUD): $ 21,500 - Bardayal Bim Folio
Artwork Story
Wamud has depicted Mankung Dans Daluk, Sugarbag Woman, also known as wakewaken from country east of the Mann River. These wakewaken originally lived under a paperbark tree in a creek of cold running water. Ngalyod the Rainbow Serpent is said to reside in this same place. One day the wakewaken left their underwater home and moved around the country gathering bush fruit, which they placed in the burlbe (dilly bags) they carried. Wak, the black crow, saw this and became angry. Thinking they were stealing from his country, he took a stone axe and cut them in half. They transformed into mankung or sugarbag, the honey of native bees and left their imprint as a rock painting in the artist’s Mankung Djang (Sugarbag Dreaming) country.
In earlier days when Aboriginal people from this region wanted to ensure that sugar bag would be plentiful each year, they would swim in the creek and pull up the water weeds near the base of the paperbark tree, where the wakewaken resided.
This plate was created by the artist in 2006 and was printed and signed by the artist prior to his passing. It has also been authenticated with the Injalak Arts & Crafts Association Inc stamp on the back bottom left corner.
© Injalak Arts