Mirri-jarra Jukurrpa (Shield Dreaming), 2017

Andrew Jampijinpa Brown  

The place represented in this painting belongs to a place to the North of Yuendumu, near Wakurlpa, called Mirrjarra. Here two men were making ‘kurdiji’ (shields) from the wood of ‘yinirnti’ (bean tree - Erythrina vespertilio-). The two men left their ‘kurdiji’ at Mirrijarra and travelled on to the east.
Two rock holes in the side of the rocky hill mark the place where they were making their ‘kurdiji’ and these rock holes make the shape of the ‘miri’ (handle) of the shield. In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, articular sites and other elements in each painting. In paintings of this Dreaming, Mirri-jarra is typically indicated by concentric circle and the ‘ kurdiji’ are usually depicted with their hand grips. ‘U’ shapes usually are shown representing men while long strait lines beside them are usually depicting ‘kurlada’ (spears). ‘Karli’ (boomerangs) , clubs, and stone knives can sometimes be depicted.