Old Tuareg Veil Weight – ASSROU N’ SWOUL – Niger

Copper and aluminium geometric appliqués on brass sheet, with copper studs.
Height: 13.3 cm (5.24 in). Weight: 49.4 g (1.74 oz).

A genuine old Tuareg veil weight known as assrou n’swoul, generally translated as “the key thrown over the shoulder.” This distinctive key-shaped ornament was traditionally worn by Tuareg women as a counterweight to secure the head-cloth against the strong Sahara winds.

The Tuareg are a traditionally nomadic Berber people of the Sahara and Sahel, historically closely associated with the trans-Saharan caravan trade.

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