Uploaded March 2010 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
This is a nicely made yirdaki with a great tactile feel to it: it has been painted in ochres and acrylics that sit on top of the painted surface as thick raised lines. Phyllis Batumbil, made and painted this instrument. She has a new art studio at Mata Mata outstation and hopes to build up the art enterprise out there in the bush.
I really love this instrument because of its versatility. It has good backpressure but not intensely so allowing for better learning and practise of traditional technique. The instrument is thin-walled throughout and shows great care in its craftsmanship - a testament to Batumbil's patience and seriousness as a practising artist. The pedigree of this instrument is obvious, Batumbil being the mother of the great Terrence Gaypalani, the world's best yirdaki maker in our estimation.
Elijah gives this stick a test run. Love it.
This is a nicely made yirdaki with a great tactile feel to it: it has been painted in ochres and acrylics that sit on top of the painted surface as thick raised lines. Phyllis Batumbil, made and painted this instrument. She has a new art studio at Mata Mata outstation and hopes to build up the art enterprise out there in the bush.
I really love this instrument because of its versatility. It has good backpressure but not intensely so allowing for better learning and practise of traditional technique. The instrument is thin-walled throughout and shows great care in its craftsmanship - a testament to Batumbil's patience and seriousness as a practising artist. The pedigree of this instrument is obvious, Batumbil being the mother of the great Terrence Gaypalani, the world's best yirdaki maker in our estimation.
Elijah gives this stick a test run. Love it.
