Leather

A great old Tuareg leather bag from Niger. Goatskin and pigments. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes. A superb piece, tribal, authentic and very decorative.

A great old Tuareg leather bag from Niger. Goatskin, cotton and pigments. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes. This sample features a lovely ornamentation that combines painted, embroidered and incised decoration. A superb piece, tribal, authentic and very decorative.

Fantastic Tuareg camel leather reins from Mauritania. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes. 

Fantastic Tuareg camel leather reins from Mauritania. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes. 

Fantastic Tuareg camel leather reins from Mali. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes.  With little mirrors is very decorative and full of uses.

A fantastic Tuareg leather amulet-holder from Mali. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes. Very decorative and full of uses

A fantastic Tuareg leather pendant from Mali. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes. Very decorative and full of uses.

A fantastic Tuareg leather pendant from Mali. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes.  With little mirrors is very decorative and full of uses.

A fantastic Tuareg leather pendant from Mali. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes.  With little mirrors is very decorative and full of uses.

A fantastic Tuareg leather amulet-holder pouch or wallet from Mali. Goatskin, cotton and pigments. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes. 

An awesome and very complete antique Tuareg man’s  leather bag from Mali. Decorated with leather fringe and tassel. It includes a full set of pocket knifes,needles, scissors and tweezers. It even includes a rubber ring to fit, no doubt, ia well’s pump. All of them are essential items in an extremely harsh environment where everything is useful and nothing is discarded. Superb patina. An extremely covetable piece and with a great ethnographic value.

A superb old traditional man’s leather bag - dhaza’butsh- from Taghzuth in the Rif region in Morocco. The leather work is oustanding and it shows a great patina. Decorated with long leather fringes and mirror pieces. Taghzuth (Tarhzout) has been since long ago a main centre of leather works such as bags like these, belts, sacs and other. A beautiful and true piece of Berber tribal art.

A wonderful man's old Tuareg leather bag from Mali. Decorated with cowries and leather tassels. It includes a full set of pocket knifes, wood piquet, leather pouches and fly-whisks made of leather and animal hair. Superb patina. An extremely covetable piece as it is the complete set!.

A stunning antique traditional Berber man leather and embroidery bag or -akrab- from the Moroccan Berber tribe of the Aït Morhad.  A scarce example, in a wonderful state and with an oustanding workmanship. A similar one can be seen in the Musée Tiskiwin in Marrakech (see page 53 of "L'art de la Parure sur l'itinerare Marrakech-Agadez-Tombouctou Marrakech", Tome I, by Bert Flint). A true gem.  

A great old fringed leather bag from the Tuareg sourced in Mali. Goatskin and pigments. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes. This one would have been used to carry personal items by its owner. I would hang from the camel's saddle when travelling and from a pole at the tent. These pieces are also sometimes turned into pieces of decoration at the entrance of the tents or -jaimas-. Extremely decorative.

A stunning old Tuareg woman's leather traveling bag -tehaihait- from Tamanrasset in Southern Algeria. Goatskin, cotton and pigments. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes. Superb ornamentation that combines painted, embroidered and incised decoration. These bags are used by women to store their jewellery, clothes and other items. Sometimes they are secured with the characteristic tuareg locks -tanast-. They are hung from one side of the camel when travelling and from a pole or post at the women's section at the encampment. Not only a wonderful ethnic piece but also one with great visual impact.

A wonderful old camel saddle -tarik- or -tamzak- from the Moroccan-Algerian border south of Jbel Bani. It has a wooden structure and it is fully covered in camel hide. It features great darns and painted decoration meant to protect the rider and his camel from evil and the treacherous spirits -djinn- that inhabit the desert. This type of saddle is only used by men. It is placed in front of the camel's hump. The rider's feet will rest on the curve of the animal's neck. Superbly worn.

A fantasticTuareg leather amulet-holder pouch or wallet from Algeria. Goatskin, cotton and pigments. Tuareg women are in charge of leatherworking. They soak the skins and remove the hair to then tan them with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colourful decoration uses natural dyes. This sample features a lovely ornamentation that combines painted, embroidered and incised decoration.