>[!NOTE]+ Meta Author:: [[Sharon Tsang-de Lyster]] Reference:: https://www.thetextileatlas.com/craft-stories/talismans-from-tuareg-refugees Tags:: #Africa #jewellery WeftLinks:: [[Cultural value of craft]] ### Summary In the Tuareg culture, artisans belong to a hereditary caste that includes blacksmiths, leatherworkers, and jewellers. They are artisans at birth, with their own dialect and myths related to their skills and tools. Each of their handmade pieces carries the know-how of countless generations and is a repository of the Tuareg cultural heritage. >“As a Tuareg blacksmith, I make almost everything that is necessary for daily life and survival in the desert: tents, bags, saddles, swords, pottery, padlocks, keys, shields, lances, beds, musical instruments and, of course, jewels.” - Tuareg refugee in Niger, Sidi, explains his craft.