Golden Horseshoe with Draped American Flags, Wonderful Old Carved and Painted Standing Folk Art Frame beautiful pin cushion 8 5/8" t x 5

8 5/8" t x 5 1/2"

both as tokens of Taoism (shooing away evils) and with the practical function of brushing away the flies

though very finely rendered in watercolor by an artist clearly in command of the medium

there appears to be a black mark on the bottom but I cannot make it out against the dark brown

The effect of the paint loss on the head is to make the figure appear as if blonde

Golden Horseshoe with Draped American Flags, Wonderful Old Carved and Painted Standing Folk Art Frame beautiful pin cushion 8 5/8" t x 5This is a small frame but it feels rather monumental in impact and resolve! It took me a minute to realize those carved drapes inside the horseshoe are painted to represent American flags patriotic banners, with fields of stars at the top, and stripes hanging down. They also look to me a lot like ladies legs to me, such that the whole frame could perhaps be read as a sort of double entendre. All to quite dramatically set the stage for a portrait