"The Friend of the Arunta" Clay Sculpture by William Ricketts

A rare figural clay sculpture, 'The friend of the Arunta',…
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A rare figural clay sculpture, 'The friend of the Arunta', William Ricketts (1898-1993), circa 1939, depicting a group of Arunta tribesmen explaining the importance of the churinga stone to Sir Baldwyn Spencer. Accompanied by original pamphlet and photograph of the sculpture by A. E. Stephen. incised signature to base 'W Ricketts Pottery Sanctuary, Mt Dandenong'. 16 cm high, 38 cm long, 20 cm deep. Other Notes: This sculpture was part of a series presented by Ricketts at his mount Dandenong gallery, titled 'Legends of Australian Aborigines Sculptured in Clay'. Ricketts modelled these sculptures based on the his studies of Aboriginal folk lore and the works of Sir Baldwyn Spencer and David Uniapon

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  • Incised - A record of a name, date or inscription, or a decoration scratched into a surface, usually of a glass or ceramic item with a blunt instrument to make a coarse indentation. Compare with engraving where the surface is cut with a sharp instrument such as a metal needle or rotating tool to achieve a fine indentation.
  • Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.

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