Description
Fabric: Linen base cloth and cotton lining.
Color: The base cloth color is ‘french navy’ blue and the inks are a colorway of blue and green.
- W: 20 cm (8 inches)
- H: 10 cm (4 inches)
- D: 2 cm (0.75 inches)
Features:
- Magnetic clasp
- 6 slip-in card pockets
- Two full length pocket/compartments for notes
- Zippered full length internal pocket
- Fabric hand printed in Australia
- Fabric design story supplied with each purse
- Limited edition
- Can be washed gently by hand
The fabric was hand-printed by artisans at Injalak Arts in West Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. This purse was made by Kravan House, our partner social enterprise that has been employing, training and supporting disabled artisans in Cambodia since 2003. It is one of Cambodia’s oldest social enterprises.
NB: Please note that each purse is unique and the placement of the fabric design is different and wonderful on each item.
The designer: Gabriella Maralngurra
Gabriella Maralngurra started her artistic apprenticeship at a young age, sitting with her grandfather the late Lofty Nadjamerrek AO at Kabulwarnamyo and Kamarrkawan outstations. Her style, with its parallel rarrk (hatching) in the old rock art style, reflects his influence and that of her father Gabriel Maralngurra.
The design: Ngalkunburriyaymi/Yawk Yawk (Mermaids)
Ngalkunburriyaymi or Yawkyawk is the Kunwinjku name for female water spirits with fish-like tails, who act as the guardians of sacred waterholes and Djang (Dreaming) sites. This design depicts
a billabong brimming with animal and plant life. The central figure of Ngalkunburriyaymi swims alongside namarnkol (barramundi), which is regarded as belonging to her. She is surrounded by ngalmangiyi (turtles), kordbolbok (frogs), kedjebe (file snake), namardaka (eel-tailed cat fish), karlerrh (longtom), wakih (freshwater shrimp) and mandem (waterlilies) of all different kinds. Ngalkunburriyaymi start out in tadpole-like form, also shown in this design.
The fluid outlines of the design suggest the underwater setting complementing the infill of straight parallel rarrk (hatching) in the ancient rock art style.
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Injalak Arts is a non-profit, fully Aboriginal owned arts corporation located Gunbalanya in West Arnhem Land in remote Australia. The 300 members make beautiful arts and crafts. Their print workshop is busy with new screenprinted fabrics being created daily. They have an extraordinary 47 different fabric designs all created by the members and use lots of different base cloths (all natural fibres) and two teams of printers – men and women. Injalak Arts is registered as a charity in Australia.
Visit the Injalak Arts Etsy shop to see an amazing range of fabrics and other high quality authentic hand-made products.
