JWA601 Cushion Cover Wool

This design is based on an original painting by Judy and is associated with Mina Mina, a sacred site west of Yuendumu. It holds deep significance for Napangardi and Napanangka women, custodians of the Dreaming that created the landscape.

The painting tells the story of ancestral women who travelled east from Mina Mina, where digging sticks (karlangu) rose from the ground. As they journeyed, they gathered bush foods, collected ngalyipi (snake vine – Tinospora smilacina), and performed ceremonies, eventually travelling beyond Warlpiri country.

The central motif is ngalyipi, a sacred vine that grows along desert oak trees. It is used in ceremony, as a strap to carry parrajas (wooden bowls), and as a natural remedy.