An untitled painting by Emily Kame Kngwarreye (1910-1996) proved the highlight of a sale of aboriginal Australian art at Mossgreen Auctions in Melbourne.
It sold for $195,714, an increase of 72.8% on an estimate of $113,238.
 Kngwarreye executed the work in 1993 |
Kngwarreye lived in the Utopia Settlement in Australia's Northern Territory, the home of many of the country's most outstanding indigenous artists.
Her work is immensely popular, with examples held in some of the nation's biggest museums. Elton John is reportedly a fan.
Rodney Gooch (1949-2002), an arts advisor who worked extensively with the people of Utopia, commissioned the work in 1993.
The Buffalo, a sculpture by Albert Croker, also performed well - achieving a 13.2% increase on an estimate of $66,055 to sell for $74,831.
Croker (1908-1968) was one of a group of Tiwi artists to establish a community (known as Paru) on Melville Island in the Northern Territory, away from the pernicious influence of the Catholic Mission on the neighbouring Bathurst Island.
While buffalo are not indigenous to Australia, a number were introduced by westerners during the 19th century and flourished when the island was abandoned.
Croker spent much of his youth hunting the animals and they appear as a regular theme in his work.
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