This picture book offers over 100 photographs of exquisite African art and jewelry (Berber and Tuareg) and explores the story of the legendary Tuaregs of the Sahara desert and their silver jewelry. The book gives a solid background to the origins of this nomadic group of people, and investigates their art forms from prehistoric rock art to modern designs. It was written in collaboration with Berber and Tuareg artists and art experts of Morocco and Niger.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Good content, disappointing presentation:
I bought this as a Christmas present for my mother. Since she makes jewelry for a living, I thought she would find some of the unique Tuareg designs inspiring. In this regard, I think the book is quite good-- there are photographs of many beautiful pieces, and there's good text to go along with them. However, there are some things about this book that really disappointed me. First, most of the photographs are very low resolution and have been blown up such that there is glaringly obvious pixelation. It... more info
Berbers and Tuaregs:
The cover photo of a beautiful antique Berber necklace was carefully and purposefully selected by the author of the book, Helene Hagan, to reflect the Amazigh (Berber) origins of Tuareg culture, identity, and jewelry. The reason for this choice is explained in the book, which also extensively covers Tuareg tales of origins from the south of Morocco, as well as what it means to be an "Amazigh" ("Berber" and "Tuareg" being labels imposed by outsiders.) The book specifically emphasizes the commonality of... more info
The Meaning of Tuareg Jewelry Revealed:
This book makes a perfect companion to Art of Being Tuareg. In this book the symbolism of Tuareg jewelry is explored. Excellent examples of Tuareg jewerly are shown. I only regret that the necklace in the cover photo, while Berber, is not Tuareg.
