Vintage Panel of a Female Farmer with a Basket, Myanmar/Burma (T052B-BLE) $335

Description

Burmese women always have taken part in demanding strenuous work, but they rarely see themselves as farmers. This is because of Burma’s old patriarchal culture, narrow Burmese laws and social limitations of rural beliefs that define them as workers who labor for men: their father, brother or husband. This wonderful painted folk-art wood panel of a barefoot female farmer depicts    her with a woven rattan basket behind her with the handle over her forehead as she walks home at the end of a long day’s toil. Her hardiness is expressed in the thickness of her legs, wide solid neck, large hands, and long arms. She wears a short-sleeve knee-length peasant dress modestly decorated with plus-like designs and parallel lines above cross-hatches below as it billows around her knees. She stands solidly on her feet and her only personal adornment is a pair of simple round earrings. As a set, the three panels of the Female Farmer with a Hoe (T052C-BLE), Female Farmer with a Basket (T052B-BLE and Court Dancer (T052A-BLE) would make a unique and charming wall arrangement. This piece is in very good condition. The Burmese admiration of antique folk-art creations is seen in vintage pieces produced in the last 4-5 decades. Gifted observant woodcarvers can create antique-looking patinas and partially applied “old” painted surface effects making unaware buyers believe pieces they like are genuine antiques. Likely made using old wood with insect bored holes”, some damage and nail holes as if it were an antique, well-conceived “modern folk antiques” like this exhibit the skills and imagination of Burmese folk artist producing pieces worthy of  a resonable price for art. On the other hand, it is a tragedy  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.