Aboriginal Vintage Folk Art - 26 inch Lizard - Authenticated Investment-grade For Sale

Central Australian Aboriginal "Punu" carving of a goanna lizard, purchased in Australia in 1999. 26" long head to tail, 5" high, 3" wide.The wave patterns covering the body are classic examples of pokerwork (pyrography). These lines are created using hot wire or heated metal tools pressed meticulously into the timber.
According to AI, the markings on the underbelly (3rd photo) are deciphered as follows:• The "HJ" Initials: This is the direct signature or maker's mark of the individual Indigenous artist who hand-carved and wood-burned the lizard.• The "MT" Mark: In the Central Desert art trade, "MT" is a widely recognized community marker for Mount Ebenezer (often associated with the Imanpa community) or specific tracking indexes used by regional collectives like Maruku Arts.• The Green Paint Pen: Official community-governed art centers began using vibrant paint pens (often green, white, or silver) on the raw underbellies of carvings in the 1990s. This was a systematic effort to catalog authentic works, track fair-trade payouts to the specific artists, and combat cheap overseas plastic knock-offs entering the market.