print
- Museum number
- Oc2006,06.1
- Title
- Object: Sesserae (Badu Island Story)
- Description
-
An abstract representation of the story of Sesserae and his transformation into a bird, told by the Wakiad clan of Badu Island, Torres Strait, Australia. Elements of the tale represented include a fish trap, spears and rope, dugongs, cooking ovens and smokers, Sesserae's campsite, dog warriors, birds, a conch shell and the Wagtail bird. Animal and human figures are in solid black. Blue is used to delineate the sea and fishing, red highlights the cooking ovens, and the birds are highlighted in white.
Linocut with hand colouring. Edition: 45.
- Production date
- 2004-2005
- Dimensions
-
Height: 112 centimetres (image)
-
Height: 125 centimetres (paper size)
-
Width: 200 centimetres (image)
-
Width: 210 centimetres (paper size)
- Curator's comments
-
The story is told by the Wakiad clan of Badu Island, and is essentially about how islanders obtained the knowledge of how to trap and cook the dugong, and about clan fishing rights. Sesserae is a young man of the local Tulu tribe, who lives alone on the island. Sesserae is pursued by neighbouring clan members (on the right-hand side) because he has discovered how to successfully hunt for the dugong, and his neighbouring clansmen want this information from him. Sesserae is ultimately transformed into the Willy Wagtail bird, a legendary creature who is cunning and will not share with others. This work depicts the main characters and the various stages of the story.
-
Comment from Jenny Newell in 2010 'I can see that the artist Dennis Nona has done some hand painting in red and white'.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- New.
- Acquisition date
- 2006
- Acquisition notes
- One of a series of seven prints by Fiona Foley and a work by Dennis Nona, which was presented to the British Museum by the Honorary Peter Beattie, Premier of Queensland, on 11 November 2006.
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Oc2006,06.1
