iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

Hi Guy's,
just bought this stick. Told it was by a Dickie Yuma. (Spelling) From Emu Springs N.T. Approx 20yrs ago.
Wondering if any one knows of him? Any coments are welcome. I will post a couple of close ups of the art work.
Thanks
Jeff

Close up of fish

Snake

I can't say I've heard of him, but it's an interesting specimen. Can you post a pic of the mouthpiece?

Sure thing. Some one has redone the wax. Out side measures 50mm inside 30mm with the wax.
Cheers
Jeff

one more

Can't say that I've heard of Dickie Yuma either, but charming artwork on that one. Interesting greenish ochre.

Thank you both for the reply's.
It looks like he has painted the yellow over the black to get the green. Looks nice in the flesh...so to speak.
Cheers

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for posting these and sharing with us.

I don't know Yuma, but seeing he paints in the rarrk style (that is, with cross-hatching), I'd think that even though he is said to be from Emu Springs, it probably means he is staying there rather than Emu Springs being his traditional homeland. Emu Springs is on the Western Australian side of the WA-NT border, with the closest community to the west being Halls Creek, and to the east being Lajamanu. Halls Creek is part of the greater Kimberley cultural bloc, and Lajamanu is mainly Walbiri mob who are Central Desert people.

My guess would be that Yuma is from around the Katherine region and his instruments are mago-style (ie. overtone-absent) didgeridoos. Do you recall where you bought your Yuma didgeridoo 20 years ago?

Attached are 2 pics of Yuma's more recent instruments, pics taken by David Lindner and found on his website.

Guan

Hi Guan,
I have only just purchased the didj. The info I received was that, it was from Yuma and from Emu Creek app 20yrs ago. I will see if I can get more info from the seller.
I had posted hoping some one might have known of him.(Yuma) Just one of those impulse buys. But very happy with it. It is 1465mm in lengh.
As I say, will chase up the seller next week and see if I can get more info.
Thank you for your reply. As well as the great site.
Cheers
Jeff

Well Guan,

Would apear that you were right on the money! Spoke to the seller today and he said that he picked the didj up in Katherine!

But thought that the people he bought it from had said that Yuma was from Emu Creek. The years may have clouded the memory a bit.

Thank you for the information as well as the pictures of his more recent work.

Look forward to learing a bit about the Didj and the amazing people that make them.
Your wealth of knowlage and passion for the didj and their makers is a great help to us just entering the land of Doo's.

Thank you,
Jeff

Hey Jeff,

Glad we've managed to add to the instrument's provenance

Your instrument is the nicest of the 3 specimens shown above by the way. Isn't it interesting to see the changes in an artist's style over a 20 year span? The mottled or stippling effect seen on the newer instruments are a modern innovation which I don't like. It is basically a way for artists to cover a lot of area with paint in a short time. Some Yolngu in eastern Arnhem Land are starting to paint like this sometimes, and I just don't like it.

Cheers,

Guan

Thanks Guan,

I prefer it to the others as well. I do like his style, however also am not a fan of the stippling effect.

The information you have given me about the this stick has helped clear things up for me.

Now if you could just "pop" down to Adelaide and teach me to make it sound like it should. Ha ha

Cheers
Jeff

I first recall seeing this effect on barks from western Arnehm Land with subject matter that would usually have been on rock faces. I always assumed it was a way of representing the rock surface in a stylized fashion. Never had it confirmed by anyone though.

Hey Peter,

I think you may well be right about this as I know that this 'universal' effect was used in Western Arnhem Land paintings done on arches paper. Those who introduced the new medium to the artists wanted to capture the look and feel of the rock faces that had historically been painted in the Oenpelli area and these stippled and mottled areas were meant to capture this. Whether or not they succeeded is in the eye of the beholder!