Interpreting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art and Artefacts

The artefacts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, common with other ethnic peoples, have to be understood not simply as objects that can be described in terms of their physical characteristics and the use made of them, but also as objects that have cultural, historical and religious significance. It is crucial that we see artefacts not just starkly as having utilitarian purposes, but immersed in an Aboriginal world in which they will have different meanings, if not uses, for different Aboriginal communities. It is also important to realise that every Aboriginal community will have prohibitions on outsiders knowing certain things which are sacred to that community and which only designated members of the community can know. Unless individuals are members of that community, they will not be privy to their secret matters. This is to preserve the value of not only certain ceremonies and rituals, but also specific designs, totems and objects. This means that the significance of the artefacts considered below can only be partially understood since our ability to enter the world of a specific Aboriginal community is limited.