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San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Sylvia D. Ellis.

Journey to Seagull Island

San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Sylvia D. Ellis.
San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Sylvia D. Ellis.
Contact us at copyright@samuseum.org for rights and reproduction of this image.

Journey to Seagull Island

Artist:
Place made:Northern Territory, Australia
General region:Oceania
Place made:Northern Territory, Australia
General region:Oceania
Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of John and Sylvia Ellis
Object number: 91.18.5.d
Label Text
People are depicted traveling by boat to an outlying island to gather seagull eggs. On the left, the collection of eggs is represented by a field of white dots on a red ground.

Pirripatiriyi, or Seagull Island, is located off the northwestern coast of Melville Island, which is part of the Tiwi Island group and home to Tiwi people. As a significant breeding site for crested tern birds, it is designated a Key Biodiversity Area. Indigenous communities continue to be custodians of Australia’s natural environment demonstrating their deep knowledge and connections to the land. The Tiwi Land Council has been integral to the conservation of seabirds on Pirripatiyiri and is an extension of ancient Tiwi traditions.
(LSM, 2022)
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The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.