Lot 239: BOBBY BARRDJARAY NGAINJMIRRA 1915-1992 LEGEND OF NIMBUWAH ROCK 1968 69 by 33cm Natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark Bears artist's name, date, title, language group 'Kunwinjku' and area, 'Oenpelli', together with a descriptive label on the

BOBBY BARRDJARAY NGAINJMIRRA 1915-1992 LEGEND OF NIMBUWAH ROCK 1968 69 by 33cm Natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark Bears artist's name, date, title, language group 'Kunwinjku' and area, 'Oenpelli', together with a descriptive label on the reverse. Provenance: Painted in Western Arnhem Land in 1968 Private collection, Sydney Aboriginal Art, Sotheby's Melbourne, June 24, 2002 lot 25 Private collection, New South Wales The descriptive label reads: 'Ninbuah (sic) is an enormous tall rock with a round rock on top, with some trees upon it. Prior to its creation, an old man and woman were following their dreaming path. They were creator beings, but now, they were old and tired. Inland from Oenpelli, the old man said to his wife "I'm old and tired. I've come to the end of my work now. I will sit down here and sing a magic song and turn myself into a great rock so that all will remember me forever. You, (to his wife) go over there and turn yourself into a rock but a small one" so it was done. He sang his songs and turn into Nimbuwah Rock. His wife walked away and sang a song and turned herself into a smaller rock nearby. The ghost of his wife came back to the water hole at the the foot of Nimbuwah Rock to weep over her husband's spirit in the sacred water hole. The rock is also a phallus symbol.'