Turkey Tolson Tjupurulla
Pintupi people NT 1938-2001
Two Travelling Women at Munni Munni
Acrylic on linen
213.5 x 360 cm
BCEC Art Collection
Turkey Tolson Tjupurulla was to the east of Haasts Bluff, where his family camped near permanent waterholes and maintained a traditional lifestyle. His family moved to the Papunya shortly after the first buildings were completed in late 1959.
In mythological times the Two Travelling Women journeyed over a vast area of the Western Desert region. This painting shows them at the site of Munni Munni, to the south-east of the Kintore. The central roundel is the site, and the other roundels represent other places the women visited. Here, the women hunted for goanna, gathered bush berries and performed ceremony. They also played the munni munni game which involves the arrangement of leaves on the ground which is said to magically attract eligible men. The arcs connecting the circles indicate ngalyipi, a rope made from a vine of the same name, which is used during ceremonies.