a honey-ant Dreaming

?The painting was about four foot by three and had a background of pointillist dots in varying shades of ochre. In the centre there was a big blue circle with several smaller circles scattered around it. Each circle had a scarlet rim around the perimeter and, connecting them, was a maze of wiggly, flamingo-pink lines that looked a bit like intestines.

Mrs Lacey switched to her second pair of glasses and said, ?What you got here, Stan??

?Honey-ant,? he whispered in a hoarse voice.

?The honey-ant?, she turned to the Americans, ?is one of the totems at Popanji. This painting?s a honey-ant Dreaming.??

?Bruce Chatwin, from The Songlines, 1987.