ed./65The Bu or Trumpet shell played an important role in traditional Torres Strait Islander life. Not only was it a food source but it was also blown like a trumpet to summons the villagers together or to warn of impending danger. The shell was dried and a hole fashioned in its tip. Different size shells that made different sounds were used depending on the nature of the gathering.The artist has created a series of six etchings that depict the Bu in which different Island totems have been incised. These totems can be seen in the in the rock caves which are sacred places for people of the artist’s island of Badu.This particular print shows the Umai or dog. It is a secondary totem of the artist’s island that is known in language as Migi Baui.