"Dillybag", late 19th / early 20th century
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Lot: 52
97th Auction"Dillybag", late 19th / early 20th century
Australia
| Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
|---|---|---|
| Private Collection, Australia | H: 10.4 inch | This object is not available anymore. |
plant fibre and paint,
This bag is extremely accurately worked and has an elaborate original repair spot on one side.
"Dillybags", the traditional Aboriginal pouches, were mainly used by women to collect and transport food and are most commonly found in the northern parts of Australia.
Due to its coarse-meshed structure, this basket may also have served as a "leaching basket", for soaking poisonous nuts to make them suitable for consumption.
Carrick, John (ed.), Art of the first Australians, Camperdown o.J., p. 38 f.
Davies, Susan M., Collected - 150 Years of Aboriginal Art and Artifacts at the Macleay Museum, Sydney 2002, p. 77
