Ilyarnayt

Lily Lion Kngwarreye

All of Lily’s Dreamtime stories belong to her country, Ngkwarlerlaneme and Arnkawenyerr. This painting is inspired by the Dreamtime story of the Ilyarn or Ilyarnayt, a rare and attractive plant growing throughout Central Australia.

This plant is particularly favoured for the abundance of edible grubs living in the roots, known simply as Ilyarnayt, and also its seeds (Ntang Ilyarnayt) which are collected, ground into a paste and used for making damper (bread).