Enigmatic Carved Folk Art Bust tabletop frames String binding is very tight

String binding is very tight

Early 20th century I believe and rendered in soft grays and browns

A clipped description of this plate (#15)  is included on the back of the mat

" and on the other the voice of the husband: "

and certainly this Eric or Earl or some other beau looks quite the little rascal

Enigmatic Carved Folk Art Bust tabletop frames String binding is very tightEvery time I look at this carving, I see it differently sometimes thinking it is a woman represented and sometimes a man; sometimes thinking African American and sometimes thinking it feels a bit Germanic or even Dutch. My best guess is it is a portrait of a black woman, and that the carving is American, but I don't know for sure. In any case, I really like how expressionistic it feels in addition to its elusiveness, which is amplified by the darkness