Nganiyal is the name given to a woven conical form, a contemporary version of a traditional multi-purpose mat or container. In Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Nganiyal is considered to be a powerful symbol of fertility associated with stories of creator ancestors. In its iconic form, Nganiyal accompanied the Djang'kawu sisters and their brother on their creative journey across the country, as they made the features of the landscape and gave birth to the first Yolngu people. They introduced language and the laws by which people should live, before depositing their spiritual essence in revered sacred sites connected with Nganiyal. Knowledge of its ritual significance is restricted. Practical applications for the Nganiyal include as a protection from heat and cold, as a mosquito and fly-proof cover for a sleeping child and as a handy container to transport bush foods or 'girri' (personal possessions). Contemporary versions made for sale and exhibition all have their origins in the traditional forms.

Judy Baypungala is a confident, accomplished artist of many years standing. Her weaving career is distinguished by her mastery of classical techniques, with which she has experimented to extend the possibilities of the three-dimensional form as an independent work of creativity. In a contemporary take on tradition, this Nganiyal has been inverted so as to be viewed base down, setting up a tension as the thin-walled, transparent fibre membrane defies gravity to enclose the hollow space within. Baypungala adds an untamed element to the finished work by leaving generous lengths of warp threads untrimmed. Judy Baypungala has started weaving this Nganiyal from the base, using shades of rich orange to pale yellow pandanus fibres, coloured with dyes extracted from the root of the milipa tree (Opilia amentacea). She has used an open stitch in which the warp threads are firmly bound by the twined weft fibres, which are evenly spaced to create a lacy, open weave. In Yolngu matha (eastern Arnhem Land Aboriginal language), this stitch is known as 'buyu-gadagada'.