For the Saltwater People or First Nations People of Australia, landscapes and oceans were formed by ancestral beings during the Dreaming, a sacred time when the world, laws and traditional ways of First Nations society were set in place. They share a deep connection and understanding of the sea and marine creatures like the stingray who is regarded as a stealthy ancestor spirit. Benina Kallestewa's wonderful stingray has been sculpted from magnesite to a size of approximately 2 1/2" long, 2 1/4" wide and 1/2" tall. The majority of the carving is cool and smooth, while the tail region is appealingly rough. Gills are etched on the underside and eyes twinkle thanks to cultured opal inlays.
View item
