This item is a first rate stick figure bark painting from Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. The painting i done with traditional Ochres and the bark is held flat by support sticks at the top and bottom. Ben Ruhe purchaed this magnificent bark painting in 1979 at the Oenpelli mission which is located just south of Darwin. The mission was serving as a marketing agent for Aboriginal artists at that time. The mean spirited Mimi spirit is apparently hunting the woman, who flees. She has dropped her dilly bag (in terror?). It is unclear what the Mimi is holding in his right hand, and what is that loop from the knee to the foot? These Mimi figures lived in cracks of caves and occur in a lot of the sensational, huge cave paintings that dot the area south of Darwin. The Mimi tradition is quite an ancient one. Height = 53 cm ; Width = 30 cm ; Weight = 606 gm