The Sahara is earth’s largest desert. Its scorching heat, barren gravel plains and endless shifting dunes is also home to the nomadic Tuareg people.
Primarily stock breeders and feuding over water rights for livestock, a rebellion simmering in 2012 saw the marginalized Tuareg attempt succession for the Northern portion of Mali, known as Azawad. This complex dispute for independence, and access to water is exacerbated by the uranium mines in adjoining Niger contaminating groundwater with radioactive waste.
Throughout history the Tuareg people are known for fierce resistance in some form. A century ago, they were renowned for raids on sedentary tribes and competitive caravans. Plunder, becoming an integral part of their culture was glorified in the arts: in poetry, music and dance.
Lyrics laud exploits in war and affairs of the heart. “ ..All I desire is to ease my pain beside the girl who has jewels of many kinds and a set of Agadez crosses, and whos’ fingers are covered with rings….”” Taialt, recorded in Talak, 18 Feb 1964.
Draped in indigo or purple fabric the Tuareg people navigate across the desert by the stars, conveying salt and goods by trans-Saharan caravan. Tuareg society, like those of many nomads is matriarchal with the elder women having an important say in daily life. Their social strata is hierarchical with nobles, vassals, artisans and religious men, each distinguishable by their dress and jewelry.
Material culture is created by the blacksmith caste, or Enaden who speak a Hebrew dialect, claim to be sons of David, possibly descending from Jews scattering over the Sahara in the 15th century. The smiths make items of jewelry and utilitarian objects: metal locks, boxes of wood or metal, wooden containers and bowls incised with geometric decoration for household purposes. The thin walls of these are sometimes ingeniously repaired with metal strips, adding a feature to the item. Their wives tan and dye camel leather making beautifully decorated cushions, bags, woven bracelets and grass boundary fences and mats woven with thin-strip leather decoration.
The Enaden use rudimentary tools and ancient technology to create remarkable body adornments. Silver work is their finest. Each piece is made by hammering and cutting silver plate or casting by means of the lost wax process, (or both). Simplicity, grace, beautiful proportion and balance characterize the best examples.
Pieces are commissioned by clients stipulating the scale and specific design. This may include earrings, pectoral pendants (also called crosses), rings and cloak weights (assrou ‘n swal). These predominantly geometric designs are sometimes combined with elements of stone, wood, glass and shells. The enaden conceptualizes and creates the piece within the accepted artistic genre, from combinations of silver, nickel and zinc.
Silver is obtained from Maria Therese thaliers which originally trickled into the Sahara in the 1700s and are still minted in Austria, for the export market to Africa. However, a piece is seldom made from pure silver as this tends to shine or reflect excessively, in the harsh desert light. Additions of copper and brass are used to distinguish the different castes.
Each item is embellishing with small line drawings characteristic of their workmanship, mystical symbols and the Tuareg's written language called Tifinagh. A smith looking at a section of a padlock which he had decorated with symbols said to an onlooker. ”.. For you this is as small as a thumbnail, for me it is huge. Look here! There is an ant, the hyena, the jackal, a horse’s hoof, the moon, the stars and the sun. The good eye, the women and the laughter. That is our whole life.”
But the concept of jewelry holds values beyond the norm. It forms part of the dowry, is used to promote social relations as gifts to business associates, colleges and friends and is a medium of trade for bartering food, livestock and textiles. In years of adequate rainfall jewelry is acquired from the sale of livestock, as an easily portable investment and in years of drought, sold to meet living expenses.
Fear of the evil eye is common to all people of Berber origin. So, Tuareg adornments include a protective function. The power of the evil eye is opposed by shapes and mystical symbols reinforcing protection. For this reason their jewelry is often angled, geometric, with crisp defined edges, like the square shaped tcherow or turban decoration, invoking power, strength and the perceived cunning necessary to survive the harsh environment.
The form of the cross is prolific, representing for them the four cardinal points of the earth and it is believed that this image dissipates malefic forces along the arms to the far corners of the planet. These crosses vary in shape and imagination and are some of the most striking and spectacular pieces of their artistic production.
Over time, specific forms came to be associated with specific places where they were made, or where the artisans invented them, bearing names such as the: Agades, Tahoua, Timia, Zinder, Iferouane and In-gall.
Todate there are known to be 21 distinct patterns and breathtaking shapes, of Tuareg cross.
In attempts to safeguard their lives, or some may argue hedge their bets, nomads add eclectic elements from other belief systems like Islam and also from Negroid Africa, including leather amulet pouches or gris-gris containing magic formulas or Koranic verses. These are sold by holy men and believed to possess the magic power to allay ill health and misfortune.
Because it draws on so many conceptual sources, distinguishing the significance of Tuareg ornamentation, can be problematic for scholars. Someone who has contributed a relevant effort in this regard is:
Lloyd D. Graham, of Australia who has written: "Seduced by symbols: a personal perspective on Tuareg and Ethiopian Talismanic jewelry" and "The magic symbol repertoire of Talismanic rings from East and West Africa."