Dot work in this painting represents anwekety (conkerberries), it's Dreaming story belonging to Polly's country, Ahalpere.
The conkerberry (also often called bush plum), is a sweet black berry that only grows on the plant (Carissa lanceolata) for a few weeks of the year. Polly's people would collect plenty of them and store them dry, soaking them in water again before being consumed.
The plant of the conkerberry is a tangled, spiny shrub that can grow up to 2m high. After rain fragrant white flowers bloom. This plant also bares medicinal properties where the orange inner bark from the roots can be soaked in water and the resultant solution can be used as a medicinal wash. This is particularly favoured for skin and eye conditions.
Artist:
Name: Polly Ngale
Skin name: Ngale
Language group: Anmatyerre
Country: Ahalpere
Area: Utopia Region, Central Australia
Born: c. 1936
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