Arts and Craft (Post#25) : The Art Work of Mulka’s Cave
Photos of the day are all about “The Art Work of Mulka’s Cave”. Below are the excerpt that I got from the information board that I had chance to capture. These photos are part of Wheatbelt Region Tour October 2016.
Mulka’s Cave contains the largest collection of Aboriginal paintings in the south-west of Western Australia. Hand stencils and other motifs occur quite commonly in the region, but while most other sites have fewer than 20 there are over 450 at Mulka’s Cave. This is a clear indication of the significance of the site and the associated myths that connect the areas from the desert of the coast.
Most of the artwork takes the form of hand stencils. These are made by placing the hand on the rock then blowing over with pigment. When the hand is removed a negative impression remains. The reason for making hand stencils are many, but principally they are a form of signature left by those who had rights to an area.
When the cave was studied through mapping and recording, they were able to summarize the result:
A Summary Of The Artwork In The Cave
1. Total of 452 motifs were recorded – front chamber has 131, main chamber has 318 and rear shelter has 3
2. Eighteen distinct motif types plotted, 69% of total (313 in all)
3. Solid sprayed areas are another feature, while other motifs are small simple graphics.
4. Left hand outnumbered right hand with a ration of 3:2
5. Four different techniques were recorded, with stenciling dominating (86%)
6. Printing for 8%, painting for 5%, and drawing for 1%
7. Seven colors were recorded, purple-red for 50%, white for 25%, orange-red for 10% and the remaining being divided between brown red , yellow, cream and orange.
Notes :
Photo : arts, craft, aborignal arts, stencil arts, hand stencil arts, aboriginal paintings, The Art Work of Mulka’s Cave
Location : Hyden WA 6359, Australia
Transportation :
1. Join Day Tours from Perth or
2. Drive towards Hyden WA 6359, Australia
Official Website : Wave Rock
