About this artwork

Burlupurr, or dilly bag, is a large woven collecting basket. These large baskets are often made from the vine ‘Malasia scandens’ a strong pliable plant which grows along the floor and into the canopy of monsoon vine thickets. The bags are used to collect any kind of large numbers of heavy foods such as fish caught in the conical fish traps or large collections of yams.

They can also be made from Pandanus spiralis, a plant which grows in many areas of Arnhem Land. These dilly bags are a tightly woven collecting basket, very finely made. These dilly bags are often used to collect ‘sugarbag’, the native honey.

As well as being of practical use, dilly bags are also of religious significance to the Arnhem Land people. They are said to be totemic objects and associated with particular sites in the landscape.