African Art Tuareg leather camel bag Mali Niger Sahara Bedouin

Authentic old Leather bag decorated with colorful dyed leather strips and traditional Tuareg geometric designs on leather.

This bag is hand made, painted, engraved, embroidered and fringed. Used by the Tuareg tribe for storage and transportation of goods.

The bag was collected in Niger and is in good condition with some damages / few small size holes and repairs , few stains due to age and usage. Please see photos.

The size of the bag is 19" ( 48 cm ) x 14" ( 35.5 cm ).

The length of the bag INCLUDING the FRINGE IS 27" ( 68.5 cm ).

Tuareg use leather to form many kinds of African art!

Tuareg is a term used to identify numerous diverse groups of people who share a common language and a common history. Tuareg camel caravans played the primary role in trans-Saharan trade until the mid-20th century when European trains and trucks took over. Goods that once were brought north to the edge of the Sahara are now taken to the coast by train and then shipped to Europe and beyond. Tuareg history begins in northern Africa where their presence was recorded by Herodotus. Many groups have slowly moved southward over the last 2,000 years in response to pressures from the north and the promise of a more prosperous land in the south. Today, many Tuareg live in sedentary communities in the cities bordering the Sahara that once were the great centers of trade for western Africa. Although most Tuareg now practice some degree of Islam, they are not considered Arabic. TYPE OF ART : Much Tuareg art is in the form of jewelry, leather and metal saddle decorations, and finely crafted swords. LOCATION : Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali.