61 AM 835/03
Alison Nampitjinpa Anderson Hair Belt 2003
Acrylic on linen 406 x 1219mm $1250
Alison has painted her Uncle's dreaming of the Hair Belt. This painting depicts ceremonial body decorations of Aboriginal men of the
Tjungarrayi and Tjapaltjari skingroups. The men wear belts made from human hair as well as adorning themselves with a material called
Wamulu. The Wamulu is a pulp created from a small herbacious plant that is mixed with various ochres and other substances to get the
desired colours. The ceremony performed is called a 'Muliera' corroboree, in which young men are taught the 'dreaming'. The 'dreaming' is
the desert Aboriginals belief of world creation, and this corroboree is a part of their initiation. The central line depicts the hair belt along
with the semi circles depicting the men of the different skingroups.