27 AM 407/02
Bob Namundja Saratoga, Barramund1, File Snake & Eggs 2000
Ochres on Arches Paper 760 x 510mm $960
The artist has painted several edible fish and reptiles found in billabongs and water courses throughout Arnhem Land. Namarnkol or
barramundi, the renowned game fish of the “Top End” of Australia. They grow to extraordinary sizes and are excellent eating. The
namarnkol can be found in saltwater as well as freshwater billabongs and rivers. In the background are freshwater lilies which are edible
for humans and fish. These fish have significance as food and as totems and are most easily caught after the end of the monsoon (March -
April) until the humid build-up season (October). Namardakka or nail fish. Namarrdakka frequent the freshwater billabongs and flood
plains of the Top End. They are a supplementary food source for the Aboriginal people. File snake or Kedjebe. Kedjebe are a large
passive snake with a rough skin like a file and are enjoyed as a food source and collected when the flood plains start to dry up. In this
painting kedjebes are represented with eggs.