Tuareg Tribal Amulet and Veil Weight, Old Jewelery

​As you may already know, I have a fascination with these beautiful pieces of adornment. They are worn by Tuareg women, who receive them as gifts from their husbands, and are tied to the end of their veils to act as a holding weight against the Saharan winds. Not face covering veils; Tuareg men cover their faces, but the women do not. Originally these weights were actual keys to women’s jewellery chests and have evolved over time into separate, functional decorations and symbols of wealth. There is a correlation here to the Lady’s “chatelaine”. Tuareg society is matrilineal and the women own the home and its contents and are free to divorce. The Tuareg are a large Amazigh (Berber) ethnic confederation of about three million people. They live in the Sahara of Libya, Algeria, Niger, Mali and Burkino Faso and are nomadic pastoralists. Dispose de — — Matériel : brass copper and silver Région de : Afrique, Afrique du Nord, Maghreb, Maroc, tuareg desert La culture : africain, berbère,touareg Dimensions : – Length: 20 cm- Width: 6 cm .”