some of my tuareg crosses

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some of my tuareg crosses

Posted by Eva Baby on April 27, 2014 at 7:46am

this is only approx. 1/3 of my Tuareg crosses. I had been collecting Tuareg jewellery since approx.1980, but stopped after the Invasion of Timbuktu where part of my Family had been killed. I took now some of them and "threw them on a chest at random", this is the outcome. These kinds are on the pic: Agadez, Tahoua, Iferouane, Ingall, forehead crosss, Zinder. Most are very old, two small silver ones are relatively new (about 20 years old).

Comments

Betty April 27, 2014 at 12:11pm

What an impressive collection Eva! Very lovely pieces.
Eva Baby April 27, 2014 at 12:24pm

@Thank you Betty. I have lots lots of Tuareg items.... .
Toya April 27, 2014 at 4:00pm

The random arrangement is wonderful Eva. Nice collection!
Eva Baby April 27, 2014 at 4:40pm

@thank you Toya. I start to enjoy them again too.
ingrid Langerak April 27, 2014 at 9:05pm

What a beautiful collecton Eva, maybe you can explain to me the different shapes. All of them do have this warm rounded softness whatever the material. What is the meaning of the crosses and who wears them? Like the stunning one on your painting, an enormous one to keep the capes of blankets in place.

Do I see also some pendants for the hair? So curious. I have seen some Tuareg silver jewellery (new) in the tropical Museum of Tervuren,Belgium(Brussels), top quality and very refined also with Niello if I am not mistaken. And imagine you have the old ones with their warm glow of wear. Beautiful Eva, thank you.
ingrid Langerak April 27, 2014 at 11:02pm

Thank you Eva, looking forward to this very interesting tables. Sounds also very disciplined.

Good night.
Eva Baby April 28, 2014 at 12:29am
Eva Baby April 28, 2014 at 12:34am

For Ingrid: below is a table of the 21 official crosses. If you cannot read the names, I write them down here once more: top from left to right: Abalak, AIr, Bagzane, Karaga, Madoua, Tagmert

second row: Bartchakeia, Bilma, Agadez (the big one in the middle), Takadenda, Tahoua, Tchimoumenene

3rd row: Crip-Crip, In Abangaret, Iferouane, InGall, Tchintabaradene, Tilya, Timia, Zinder

the one below (4th row) In Wagar
Eva Baby April 28, 2014 at 7:45am

Ingrid; this is a Picture with the crosses in a flat Version, but silver, in a Frame, all the 21 Tuareg crosses of the Niger, bought in Niger about 20 years ago. It serves as decoration and Information table. One cannot read the names well, even if the Picture is bigger, but just as Illustration to the subject.
Eva Baby April 28, 2014 at 11:41am

ok, some more Explanation for Ingrids questions: Most crosses are named after places in the Azawad, resp Rep. of Niger (InGall, Agadez, Bilma, Tahoua, Zinder, Tchin-Tabaradene, etc. are all towns or villages, or regions .Air is a big mountain area in central Niger). Barchakeia is said to be taken from the Haussa, an ethnic Group living also in Niger. There are other crosses in Southern Algeria, a Little different in style (more filigran), .a totally different one called Aderawa (from Lybia), and the classical Agadez form has many variations. It is an Amulett to protect it s bearer, but there are many legends about it s origin. Some say it represents the southern cross (from the sky, the stellar Picture named Southern cross, which the Caravans used to navigate in the Sahara. Some say, the Europeans have invented them, it really was never proven exactly how it originated. The original cross is the Agadez one, all the others are derivations thereof, with the exception of the Ingall, which has another form and a Stone or glass triangle inserted. I include a Picture of some InGall-"crosses", smaller examples are also used as hair adornments, etc.

Gallery

some of my tuareg crosses

Comments

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