African Folk Art Painting with Handwritten Story on Reverse handprinted lacquer bowl a dog (I believe it

a dog (I believe it is a dog

at a recent estate sale

the silver-plate polished right up

I believe it dates from the early 20th century

imported by Rosenthal Netter

African Folk Art Painting with Handwritten Story on Reverse handprinted lacquer bowl a dog (I believe itThis African folk art painting poses a bit of a mystery. It is emblematic of paintings from Zimbabwe and Cameroon, which similarly feature numerous figures and animals, engaged in various activities, rendered in wonderfully bright colors and patterns and, like this one, painted on panel as well as its surrounding frame. But what makes this one particularly intriguing is that pasted to the back of the painting and written in pencil in a childlike hand,