Tuareg

Two million Tuareg traditional herders were historically nomadic tribal peoples who traversed the Sahel region and the Sahara Desert in an area the size of Western Europe in the North African countries of Mali, Niger, Libya, Algeria, Chad and West African Burkina Faso. Called the “Blue Men of the Desert”, they are famous for their blue skin from the indigo-dyed garments they wear for protection from desert sun and wind. As followers of Islam, they are prohibited from creating figures or masks and use their artistic talents to create exceptional functional metal, wood, and leather objects embellished with abstract geometric designs including elaborate horseshoe shape manillas with massive terminals decorated with hand chasing. Their unique massive horseshoe shape manillas were not made for daily wear but were used to display personal wealth, currency for livestock and other items and for dowries ritual events and celebrations and were easy to carry and transport their wealth. After decades of colonization, destabilization, drought, famine, economic and political shifts and migrations to urban areas, the Tuareg nomadic lifestyle has changed dramatically.