The Anglican Diocese of the Northern Territory could be $120,000 richer when it sells a large painting given to it almost 30 years ago by acclaimed Indigenous artist Ginger Riley Munduwalawala.

The sale of the work, Christmas at Old Roper River Mission, 1995-96, was described as “strange” by Beverly Knight, executor of Riley’s estate and founding director of Melbourne’s well-known Alcaston Gallery where the artist exhibited.