DESCRIPTION
This is an authentic Australian made Aboriginal coolamon - handmade and hand painted by prominent Aboriginal artist and artifact maker Josh Skeen.

STORY OF THIS COOLAMON
This coolamon has been painted in dot art traditional designs by Josh Skeen depicting two groups of hunters at opposite ends of a meeting place, using colours blue, black, white and yellow.

WHAT IS A COOLAMON  
Coolamon's were traditionally used by Australian Aboriginal people as a carrying vessel. They are a multi-purpose shallow vessel or dish with curved sides They were used for a variety of purposes by Aboriginal women to carry water, fruit, nuts as well as cradling babies. They were sometimes used as a digging tool. A coolamon is shaped like a shallow dish with curved sides. The shape could be considered to be like a canoe. They were usually made by men and given their variety of users they were made from hardwood.

DIMENSIONS, MATERIAL AND ARTIST AND MAKERS DETAILS
COOLAMON SIZE: 29 cm wide (11.4 inches) by 19 cm (7.5 inches) and 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick at one edge and 12 cm (1/2 inch) thick at the opposite edge
WEIGHT: 430 grams (15 oz)
MATERIAL: Australian hardwood native timbers – cedar, black wattle or iron bark
ARTIST AND MAKER: Josh Skeen 
TRIBE: Birri Gubba – in the Bowen area of North Queensland
MATERNIAL: Kuku-Thaipan- North Queensland
MADE IN: Greenbank, Queensland, Australia

MAKER AND ARTIST
These traditional message sticks are handmade and painted by prominent Aboriginal artist and artifact maker Josh Skeen. Josh is a fourth-generation Australian Aboriginal. The art work represents traditional Australian Aboriginal symbols and animals.   

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY
We provide a certificate of authenticity for each coolamon, stating the heritage of the maker, Josh Skeen. We guarantee that all products are hand made in Australia and genuine handcrafted by Australian Aboriginal peoples.