Smithsonian.com

The Tuareg, a once semi-nomadic and pastoral people who held sway over the caravan trade routes across the Sahara desert, are prospering in today’s global economy. Tuareg artists and smiths, who long created amulets and camel bags for their noble patrons, now have grown increasingly business-saavy, selling their exquisite wares in the global marketplace (see Around the Mall).

The exhibition, “The Art of Being Tuareg,” which opened today at the African Art Museum, is a feast of exquisite jewelry adorned with amber, coral and beautiful enameling; richly crafted leatherwork and works in silver, gold and bronze.

The exhibition is on view through January 27, 2008.

(Left: courtesy of the National Museum of African Art, of Anghelen by Francois Borel, in Gall, Niger, 1983. Right: courtesy of Stanford University)