The home workers

While the financial situation of the wholesalers was often very good, the home workers didn’t enjoy such a wealth. The wood carvers were underpaid and had to work from dawn till dusk in order to maintain their families. Those were often very large and helped with the orders according to their capabilities. Even the 6-years-old children helped with the work. There were families who interrupted the wood carving work only in the field work and the hay making periods. During winter, all family members – old and young, men and women – spent the whole day in the stua (Ladin for “living room”), at the penic (Ladin for “carving table”) and worked the wood with their scarpiei (Ladin for “wood carving knives”). The wood carvers depended completely on their commissioners and had little power as for the contractual negotiations. Moreover, even if they were many, they didn’t have a corporation which stood up for their rights.

Bergland » The home workers