Private collection, Melbourne

One of the most celebrated of all the Kimberley pearl shell engravers, Butcher Joe Nangan’s imagery, whilst figurative, references both cosmology and the history of the south west Kimberley. This particular shell shows flora and fauna of totemic importance including flowers (pupu), a butterfly (pintapinta), a scorpion (parn) and the red tailed kangaroo (karapulu). The three figures, armed warriors and a statuesque woman, relate to the creation myths of the region.