Lot 72
MIMI SPIRIT FIGURES, BARK PAINTING
NORTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Auction: 26 November 2025 at 14:00 GMT
Description
blown pigment on eucalyptus bark, depicting tall, thin-bodied male and female figures in motion, the figures are rendered using a negative application of white pigment against a black background
Dimensions
(inc. backing frame) 100 x 55cm
Provenance
Originally in the collection of Professor A.P. Elkin (1891 - 1979).
Professor Elkin was an Australian anthropologist who became one of the most influential figures in the study of Aboriginal cultures during the mid-20th century. He served as Professor of Anthropology at the University of Sydney from 1933 to 1956, where he trained many of Australia’s early anthropologists. Elkin advocated for the recognition of Aboriginal rights and welfare.
He undertook important fieldwork in Arnhem Land, documenting rock and bark paintings and emphasising their deep ceremonial and spiritual significance. Elkin’s support helped bring broader attention to Arnhem Land artists and contributed to the early recognition of Aboriginal art within Australian cultural history, publishing the seminal work Art in Arnhem Land in 1950.
Francois Coppens, Belgium