 | 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. Occasionally I come across some fine examples of Tuareg veil weights in the jewellery shops and souks here in Morocco. They are individually wrought using a combination of various metals: brass, bronze, copper, steel and silver. A language of etched Tuareg symbols completely cover their surfaces. They are talismanic amulets; intriguing and exceptional. The pictures below show various veil weights; different sizes and shapes. You can see how they are worn - generally "assrou n'swoul" : thrown over the shoulder. I have managed to source just eight pieces, available for sale. These are numbered, sized and priced and can be posted worldwide (no charge for postage). Enquiries can be made through my contact page. |
Five beautiful examples in various sizes being worn here...
Below - two stills from the documentary "Adalil - Mistress of the Tents" - (on Youtube) -
here a Tuareg couple talk about how they became engaged.
Adalil's daughter tends to her veil weight while trying to elicit
a stronger and more romantic response from her husband.
Here are the eight Tuareg Veil Weights.
 Metal, brass and copper. 33cm in length - $315 SOLD |  Metal - 11cm in length - $285 the different view below shows the "knob" to maybe tie a tassel to. SOLD  |  Silver with brass and copper additions. 15 cm in length - $350 SOLD |
These five beauties are made from brass, steel and copper - 24cm in length - $270 each
Take a peek at my Instagram and Facebook page
to see them acting as weights on my own shawls.
RSS Feed