Old Tuareg / Bella Amulet – Silver & Coral – Niger

Silver and coral. Weight 20.3 g (0.72 oz). Bella amulet: 7.2 cm long × 6.2 cm wide (2.83 × 2.44 in). Necklace length: 48.5 cm (19.09 in).

The Tuareg people inhabit a vast area covering much of the central and western Sahara and the north‑central Sahel. They are probably descended from the ancient Libyan populations of the Kingdom of the Garamantes, described by Herodotus. Traditionally nomadic, the Tuareg controlled the trans‑Saharan caravan trade for over two millennia, connecting major cities along the southern edge of the Sahara with the Mediterranean coast via five principal desert routes.

The Bella live primarily in Niger and Mali but are of Sudanese origin within Africa. Historically, the Bella were subordinated to Tuareg society, a relationship that shaped many aspects of their material culture, including personal adornment and amuletic objects such as this example.

tua21 +paol