Broome District

A most ingenious variation of angular geometric designs is encountered on shields, bull-roarers, and sacred boards (mirnbor) within a small area in the neighborhood of Broome, whereby one incised pattern is superimposed upon another.

The basic design is a maze of broad, fluted, right-angled lines arranged either in a meandering pattern or in a band from end to end of a sacred board or shield, in which the Greek fret, squares, and bays occur. This maze is outlined by punctures, and over the whole surface is incised a pattern of chevron or transverse knee-shaped flutings so arranged that they further define the basic design, for the flutings are cut at contrasting angles on each straight arm. Interspersed in the flutings are concentric rhomboids and half rhomboids, such as occur in eastern Australia. Sometimes a coat of red ochre is applied. In this area the native artist has evolved a mode of decorative art out of the ordinary : he has created an impression whereby each of the two combined patterns is sufficiently distinctive to be noticed by the observer, but together they form a more effective, attractive and balanced design than either one by itself. Porteus was informed that the markings on the mirnbor represented natural features in the owner's country. Klaatsch says that the mirnbor protect their owner from the spirits of the dead, who live as duckmen, and that mirnbor is the word for duckmen. The incised quadrilateral patterns on both the mandeki and mirnbor refer to this fact ; they represent the movements of the duck's beak seeking food in the mud . This reference to duck may mean that the mirnbor has some totemic significance, but as it is an introduced sacred object, we cannot be sure of this. Professor Elkin was, however, unable to secure confirmation of these statements.