Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard) by Nancy Kunoth Petyarre (SOLD)

Painted painstakingly with the fine end of bamboo satay sticks, this piece is one of Nancy's best works representing the fine detail of the skin on the back of the thorny little lizard called Arnkerrthe. 

Variations in the application of paint cause the dots to appear to flicker. This is a style completely unique to Nancy.

The fine dot work throughout this painting represents the thorny skin of the Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard). The Arnkerrthe is a gentle little lizard that is covered in thorns. For added protection it is able to camouflage itself by changing its skin colour with its surroundings.

This changing of skin colour is represented in this painting by the colours used; red and black are Arnkerrthe at night time and yellow and white are Arnkerrthe during the day time.  

The Arnkerrthe is very sacred to Nancy and the people of Atnangkere country. In the Dreamtime, the Arnkerrthe travelled over Nancy’s land creating all of the people, sacred sites, songs and other Dreamtime stories. 

‘Little lizard put the stories for we mob, for man and woman’ - Gloria Petyarre.  

Name: Nancy Kunoth
Skin name: Petyarre (also spelled Pitjara)
Language group: Anmatyerre
Country: Atnangkere
Region: Utopia, Central Australia
Born: c. 1934
Dec: 2009
Read Nancy Kunoth Petyarre's full bio »

RELATED CONTENT:

Lost Legends exhibition  I  3 Feb - 31 Mar 2017  

SPECS:

This painting comes unstretched and rolled in a tube.

Please allow 2-5 days for dispatch on this piece followed by express shipping (1-3 week days for domestic shipment or 4-10 week days for international shipment).

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