Tuareg Lock – Mali

Mid 20th century. Iron; Silver, copper and brass decorations. The Lock is approx. cm. 10,3 x 5,9 – the Key is cm. 15,6 x 3,5. Gr. 363,7 (12.82 oz.).

These locks are used to close chests. These elaborate keys are often worn by tuareg as a counterweight to keep their head-cloths or robes from being blown away by the Sahara’s winds.

The Tuareg people inhabit a large area, covering almost all the middle and western Sahara and the north-central Sahel. They are probably descended from the ancient Libyan people of the kingdom of the Garamantes, described by Herodotus. Tuareg are mostly nomads. For over two millennia, the Tuareg operated the trans-Saharan caravan trade connecting the great cities on the southern edge of the Sahara via five desert trade routes to the northern coast of Africa (Mediterranean).

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