Cushion Cover - Angkatji Tiger (SMALL)

Wati Ngintaka is an epic Tjukurpa (dreamtime) story from the Anangu Pitjatjantjara Yankunytjatjara Lands. Rini has depicted just one part of the Ngintaka story in this painting. Wati Ngintaka (literally translating to Ngintaka Man – the ngintaka is a very large perentie lizard with large yellow spots) travels across a vast area of the landscape as he is on the run after stealing the Yankunytjatjara women’s tjungari – grinding stone.

He is holding the tjungari in his tail, and he leaves a trail in the sand as he runs along. Wati Ngintaka is travelling to Waladina. The Ngintaka heard a sound – it was the Nyintiri women using their tjiwa – grinding stone. He heard the sound from a long way off, Western Austalia way, and travelled all the way to the Pitjantjatjara Lands. He visited the minyma (women – one woman and her two nieces) and watched them making damper with their grinding stone. They gave him mai (food) from their grinding stone but it was no good.

Then they gave him mai from another grinding stone and it was superior, and he was happy with this good food. One day, Wati Ngintaka thought he would play a trick on the ladies. He made his foot look like it was bleeding, so the ladies went out hunting and left him in the camp. While they were gone, he stole the good grinding stone and this is the beginning of the big, long story of Wati Ngintaka, as he travels the lands with the stone in his tail. In this painting, the large concentric circle represents the grinding stone. The lines in the painting indicate where Wati Ngintaka is travelling to, with his tail leaving tracks in the sand. In the Ngintaka story, the people eventually catch up to the ngintaka and they spear and kill him.

The Yankunytjatjara Nyintjiri people got their grinding stone back and they were very happy. They use this stone to make bush food – they grind wangunu seeds and mix it with water to make damper.

30 x 30cm 

Cushion Cover Only