drawing
- Museum number
- Oc2006,Drg.78
- Title
- Object: Trugernanner (in error)
- Description
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Drawing; until 2017 thought to depict Truganini (aka Truggernana or Trugernanner), a Tasmanian Aboriginal woman, wearing necklaces and a skin garment. It is however Wutapuwitja (Wortabowigee). She also has scarification on her upper left arm. 1837-1847.
Drawn
- Production date
- 1856 (circa)
- Dimensions
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Height: 27.90 centimetres
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Width: 22.30 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
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For the error in the identificiation of this as Trukanini, rather than Wutapuwitja (Wortabowidgee) see Sculthorpe 2017.
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This is one of seven portraits of Tasmanian Aboriginal people held by the British Museum which were done by G Gray, based on the work of Thomas Bock.
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J B Davis Collection: It is plausible that this drawing was originally mounted in J B Davis folio. The folio has a blank page, where a drawing or print was previously mounted, with the inscription: "Of “Wooraddy and Troukaninny, I believe the same as Woreddy & Truggernana, busts were executed from life by Mr. Murray, Sculptor, Hobart Town. Of these there are plaster casts in the museum of the United Service, London, presented by Capt. Drinkwater R.N. I rather think Dumontier’s figures are taken from these Casts, which are fine" (the same as inscribed on the back of this drawing.
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Plomley in 'Thomas Bock's Portraits of the Tasmanian Aborigines' in D. Dunbar "Thomas Bock, Convict Engraver, Society Portraitist" QVMAG, Launceston 1991:37 states that the seven copies of Bock's portraits by Gray were made for Joseph Barnard Davis from the series held in the Ethnological Society of London. Davis later bought the original Bock portraits from Robinson's widow in 1867.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Window mounted, in good condition.
- Acquisition notes
- In a letter dated 14 February 1883 to Davis's widow, Franks states that he had acquired amongst other things, an oil painting of 'a Tasmanian native , which presume is by Du Terreau & and nearly all the framed drawings of natives.' in the Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge sale of Davis's collection in January 1883.
Letter in ‘pre-1896’ correspondence box ‘D’, Dept of Britain, Europe & Prehistory Archive, British Museum.
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Oc2006,Drg.78
- Additional IDs
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Miscellaneous number: Oc2006-Drg78-Gra
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Other BM number: 2017,2016.1 (Once housed in album 2017,2016.1)