For the Tiwi people of Bathurst and Melville Islands, dance ornaments are inseparable from their ceremonial practices. Worn on the dancer’s body, they play a key role in activating the Dreaming, which is a fundamental aspect of Tiwi culture that encompasses ancestral narratives, social laws and spiritual identities.

These ornaments are made from natural materials such as bird feathers, plant fibres, beeswax and ochre pigments, and are produced using techniques that have been passed down through generations. They are not merely decorative costumes; they transform the body into a ritual medium. Through markings and adornments, the dancer gives visible form to the Dreaming with which they are associated.

Used during significant ceremonies, particularly those celebrating life or accompanying the dead, Tiwi dance ornaments affirm the connections between the living, ancestors and the land. They thus bear witness to cultural continuity and the central role of adornment in Tiwi ritual expression.

The black and red feathers, which resemble those of a black cockatoo with a red tail, are highly valued by the Tiwi people. They believe that this bird guides the dead to paradise.