https://emuseum.cornell.edu/internal/media/dispatcher/77838/fullAmulet (tcherow)[]Silver, copper, leatherThis amulet likely contains a bit of writing from the Koran. Although only recently has Islam had a great effect on the Tuareg-"Tuareg" derives from the Arabic word "terek" which means "to abandon," that is, abandoned by God-the Tuareg traditionally believe in the mystical powers of Islamic text. These amulets are believed to have the ability to ward off evil. Most Tuareg material culture is symmetrical and non-symbolic. The forms and patterns here do not represent anything in nature, nor do they carry religious significance. Until very recently, Tuareg peoples lived a nomadic lifestyle, trading and raising cattle around the western Sahara and northwestern Sudan. As a result of their itinerant way of life, wealth and their arts must be movable. Wealth is concentrated in cattle and jewelry. Other arts valued among the Tuareg such as poetry, music, and dance creates no material culture that must be carried. Blacksmiths make all silver jewelry and leatherwork among the Tuareg. Regarded by the class-based Tuareg as racially and culturally inferior, members of the blacksmith caste nevertheless hold some power in the community. Just as many blacksmiths are regarded in Africa, the Tuareg believe that blacksmiths have mystical powers and a special relationship to the elements that allow them to work with fire and earth (metals). With these powers they enjoy special privileges and a certain esteem in the community, but are not regarded byu the Tuareg as equals. Suggested readings: Johannes and Ida Nicolaisen, The Pastoral Tuareg: Ecology, Culture, and Society. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997; and Nancy R. Mickelsen, "Tuareg Jewelry," African Arts 9:2 (Jan 1976), 16-19. ________ Tuaregs are frequently hailed "Blue People" for the indigo powder, pounded into their clothing, that rubs off onto their skin; the garments protecting their bodies from a harsh desert climate give them the additional tag "People of the Veil." But the images these names produce, and the romantic notion that they are the "lords of the western part of the Sahara," hardly illustrate the Tuaregs' current minority status--as nomads who inhabit not their own state, but a large region extending across Algeria, Libya, Mali, and Niger. Descended from the Berbers, who lived along the northern coast of Africa five thousand years ago, they migrated south after the Arabs invaded in the eighth century and became a powerful trading people, relying on camels (their "Ship of the Desert") for caravanning rare goods such as ebony and ostrich feathers. Society is predominantly matriarchal, as legend has it that the Tuaregs descended from the daughters of one woman; while men plant and irrigate, women exercise a powerful role as landowners and skilled artisans, although the growth of Islam has led to the strengthening of patriarchal ties. Today, the nomadic lifestyle the Tuaregs have nurtured for centuries is threatened as droughts and famine restrict their movement and as governments force them to become more settled. --Erica Anderson, `02~~~2000-11-17 com.gallerysystems.emuseum.core.entities.Classification@67https://emuseum.cornell.edu/objects/19234/rdf