Azca Auctions
Lot 4
λ A PORTABLE TUAREG LEATHER CASE WITH SMOKING ACCESSORIES Northern Mali, Africa, first half 20th centuryOf flattened, elongated bulbous shape, with four rounded flaps decreasing in size, and nine applied circular pom-poms made of leather strips on the outer flap, each rounded flap and side of the leather case tooled, dyed and painted in a palette of burgundy and bright reds, ochre yellow, maroon, and green, typical of African Tuareg leather works, bearing geometric and spiral motifs, as well as eight-pointed stars and stylised crosses, the innermost compartment holding smoking accessories including a tall, tapering, conical mouthpiece with a silver and copper-inlaid brass head and concentric polychrome woods and bone circles on the body, and a plain steel cleaning needle, at the bottom a braided leather string with leather strip pom-pom to be able to tie the case on the wearer's sash or belt.7.5cm x 20cm Tuareg leather works, usually in the form of travel accessories and a male prerogative, are renowned for their practical and functional shapes, bright earthly colours, intricate tooling, and dense, stylised geometric motifs. Some of the designs visible on this pouch can also be seen on two other Tuareg leather creations dating to the first half of the 20th century, namely a travel bag (arreg) and a horse riding bag (techchekouat) (L. Balout, Collections Ethnographiques: Musée d'Ethnographie et de Préhistoire du Bardo, 1959, pp. 20 - 21). The presence of several flaps on the present example makes it a rare specimen, considering that most leather cases tend to have two or less flaps. It must have been a prized possession, possibly belonging to a Tuareg chief. A comparable five-flap tobacco leather case is published in Wolfgang Creyaufmüller, Nomadenkultur in der Westsahara: die materielle Kultur der Mauren, ihre handwerklichen Techniken und ornamentalen Grundstrukturen, 1983, p. 266, no. 181. λ This item may require Export or CITES licences in order to leave the UK. It is the buyer's responsibility to find out and conform to the specific export requirements of their country and ensure that lots have the relevant licences before shipping. 7.5cm x 20cm Qty: 3