Quabara Quatcha of Irria, Charlotte Waters
Physical Description
Depicts a man with face and beard heavily decorated with white down. Squatting outside shade, dances, swinging small object up and down in front of him, sits down and shade audience in background in front of hut.
Primary Comments
Gillen writes: '...got records of Quabara Quatcha of Irria, one of the ceremonies performed when “making rain” at a place on the Finke called Irria/' (Gillen 1968: 21) Spencer writes: ‘Quabara Quatcha. Irria. The decorated man had down on face & back representing clouds ( – white clouds – black feather – white – red quatcha – white). Red band round stomach = water. Black cockatoo feather plume on head because in Alcheringa black cockatoos brought rain from North. A man named Inungamella came down from the north to visit another named Irria & tried to persuade the latter to go back up north with him…’ (Spencer XM5856:18) See Museum Victoria collection for the pitchi depicted in this ceremony (X009747).
Rights: Museum Victoria
Moving Image Details
- Restriction
- Ceremonial
- Date Made
- 05/04/1901
- Creator
- State
- Northern Territory
Subjects
- Language Groups
- Totems
- Places
Institution
- Institution
- Museum Victoria
- Registration
- sgfilm003