Vatican Museums

Coolamon with lines and dots painted in white and red pigment on the outer side, characteristic of the Kimberley region.
Coolamons are carrying dishes carved from the roots and branches of various trees. They were carried by women on their heads or on the waist. Shape and size varied according to their use, which included holding food and water, carrying loads, digging, winnowing and cradling babies. After sanding, complex designs, often with mythological significance, were frequently burnt into the outer side of the coolamon using embers or, more recently, hot wire and painted with pigment. The size was limited to how much could be carried on daily rounds. If away for a period, large coolamons could be used to store food, like grains and placed in a tree. Traditionally, men carved and decorated the coolamons with a skill learnt over generations, and women used them - it was very unusual for women to carve them, although that changed when women started using metal axes. Coolamons are now also made for sale to tourists.
It is possible to see how different coolamons are decorated, with ochre outside and with etched designs inside. These coolamons came into the collection via New Norcia, in south west Western Australia.