Historical Illustration of a Woman Carrying Straw Bundle on Head #103167 (License: Personal Use)

This detailed woodcut, signed “C. Wis” in the lower left, portrays a Black woman in rural attire-striped blouse, wrapped skirt, and bare feet-carrying a substantial bundle of straw balanced expertly on her head. Her arms are raised slightly for stability as she walks through tall grass, suggesting agricultural labor or subsistence farming. The fine linework and cross-hatching emphasize texture, movement, and dignity in daily toil.

Used in historical articles, museum digital archives, or educational resources about 19th-century agrarian life, colonial economies, or representations of Black women’s labor; matches user intent seeking visual primary sources on historical gender roles or African diaspora labor practices.