Mina Mina Dreaming Necklace

The Mina Mina Dreaming pendant necklace showcases the artwork of renowned Warlpiri artist Judy Napangardi Watson, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Indigenous Australian art. Made from stainless steel with resin and silver leaf, this elegant piece reflects the sacred Mina Mina Jukurrpa (Dreaming), an important women's story from Warlpiri Country. Presented in a box that doubles as a display, it makes a meaningful gift or keepsake that honors the storytelling and creative traditions of Indigenous Australian culture.

Royalties benefit the artist.

Dimensions: 1.26" diameter pendant on an 18" chain

Handmade in Australia | Fair Trade

About the Artist:

Judy Napangardi Watson (c. 1935–2016) was a leading Warlpiri artist born at Yarungkanji, Mt. Doreen Station in the Northern Territory. Growing up in a traditional nomadic lifestyle, she spent long periods with her family on ancestral lands at Mina Mina and Yingipurlangu, places of deep cultural significance. Taught by her elder sister, acclaimed artist Maggie Napangardi Watson, Judy developed her own vibrant and energetic style, known for its dynamic "dragged dotting" technique. Her works predominantly depict the Jukurrpa (Dreaming) associated with Mina Mina, including powerful women's stories and sacred ceremonial sites. Active since the early 1990s, her art is held in major collections across Australia and internationally. Judy’s work is celebrated for its bold abstraction, deep cultural meaning, and her lifelong commitment to sharing Warlpiri culture through painting.

About the Artwork:

The country associated with this Jukurrpa is Mina Mina, a place far to the west of Yuendumu, which is significant to Napangardi/Napanangka women and Japangardi/Japanangka men. All of them are custodians of the Jukurrpa that created the area.

Jukurrpa, often translated as "Dreaming" or "Dreamtime," refers to the creation period when ancestral beings shaped the land, its laws, and its customs. It continues to guide relationships between people, places, animals, and the spiritual world. Each Jukurrpa story is deeply tied to specific Country and is passed down through generations through ceremony, song, dance, and art.

This Jukurrpa story tells of the journey of a group of women of all ages who traveled east, gathering food, collecting ngalyipi (snake vine), and performing ceremonies as they went. The women began their journey at Mina Mina, where karlangu (digging sticks) emerged from the ground. Taking these implements, the women traveled east, creating Janyinki and other sites. Their journey took them far beyond the boundaries of Warlpiri country. The ngalyipi vine grows up the trunks and limbs of the kurrkara (desert oak) trees.

Ngalyipi is a sacred vine to Napangardi and Napanangka women and has many uses. It can be used as a ceremonial wrap, as a strap to carry parrajas (wooden bowls) laden with bush tucker, and as a tourniquet for headaches.

 

Judy Napangardi Watson is a featured artist in —

Exhibition Opens May 9, 2025 THE LUME Indianapolis Featuring Connection: Land, Water, Sky Art & Culture from Indigenous Australians Learn More & Reserve Tickets

The artist receives an additional 10% royalty on all sales of this product.