Vintage Panel of a Female Farmer,Burma/Myanmar (T052C-BLE) $335

Description

Burmese women always did strenuous work, yet they rarely see themselves as farmers. This is due to Burma’s old patriarchal culture, Burmese laws and narrow rural beliefs defining them as workers laboring for men only: their father, brother or husband. This wonderful painted wood panel of a barefoot female farmer depicts her with the long wood cultivating tool handle over her shoulder walking home at the end of a demanding workday. Her hardiness is expressed in her strong legs, solid neck, large hands and long arms, and she wears a modestly decorated peasant dress  billowings around her knees and stands solidly holding her cultivating tool over her shoulder. Her only personal adornment is a pair of simple round earrings. The 3 panel set of Female Farmer with a Hoe (T052C-BLE), Female Farmer with a Basket (T052B-BLE and Court Dancer (T052A-BLE)- would be a unique and striking wall arrangement. This piece is in very good condition. The Burmese love of antique folk-art is seen in vintage pieces produced in the last 5-6 decades. Gifted observant woodcarvers can create antique-looking patinas and paint effects making unaware buyers believe pieces are genuine antiques. Made using old wood with insect-bored holes, some damage and nail holes as if it were antique, well-conceived “modern antiques” like this prove the brilliance and imagination of Burmese folk artists producing pieces worthy of good but reasonable prices. But, it is a unfortunate  if sold as a genuine antique with an overstated date and an inflated price, which is not the case here. This very fine art piece is part of the VA Burmese-Art Collection.