Aboriginal Art & Instruments Mallee’s Didgeshop
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Iconography

Iconography

Ochre
An earth pigment which is ground and mixed with emu or kangaroo fat, and used to paint weapons and ceremonial tools. It is also used for body paint in preparation for ceremonies.

Coolamons
A wooden bowl used by the Aboriginal women to carry water and for the winnowing seeds. Larges coolamons are used to carry babies.

Music stick
A common percussion instruments, comprising of a pair of wooden sticks to keep the rythm of the song and dance, and to accompany the didgeridoo.

Didjeridoo
A hollow small tree or branch eaten out by termites. The didgeridoo originated from the northern parts of Australia. It is a ceremonial musical instruments, which produces a droning sound.

Digging stick
A simple hard wood sticks with sharpened and fire hardened point, mainly used by women for digging out lizards, rabbits, witchetty grubs and edible roots.

Boomerang
These are made by mulga wood, there are some variation in length and thickness, returning bommerangs are mainly found in lake and swamp areas, and used traditionally by men to scare birds from water ways into pre-sets nets. Boomerangs are also used by men as a music percussion instrument for ceremonies.


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