Rare stone "tjuringa" ("churinga") of unusual size

Description

pigments (red and white), engraved with traditional motifs on both sides: four concentric circles, surrounded by concentric bird tracks (emu), missing parts (rim)

Stone “tjuringas” are rarer and are generally considered older by the Aborigines, who therefore were inclined to consider them to be of even greater value.

“Tjurunga” denote sacred stone or wooden objects possessed by private or group owners together with the Dreamtime legends, chants, and ceremonies associated with them. Upon each “tjurunga” is a totem of the group to which it belongs. In earlier times, only initiated men were allowed to see or touch the sacred objects. They were kept in a sacred place that was off-limits to non-initiates and women and were only visited when the ritual required it.

“Tjuringa” are still mysterious today, and the meaning of the linear engravings is difficult to decipher.

They can refer to myths and fabulous beings from the Dreamtime, parts of the landscape (water points, rocks, trees), animals and people, as well as their footprints / paths / journeys. Like a map, the engraved drawings could be a process for memorizing features of the landscape and having reference points for surviving in this semi-desert area.