African ethnographic antique. Tuareg Tcherot

A fine Tuareg Tcherot amulet made from tin sheet, leather copper and silver. This example dates from the mid 1900's and comes from a notable collection (see details below).

A Tcherot is an archetypical Tuareg jewellery amulet (worn both by men and women). The Tuareg are nomads who wander freely across the Sahara Desert. Because the desert (tenere) is so hot during the day, they frequently travel at night, using familiar stars as a reliable compass. Tcherot are considered to guarantee a safe journey for the wearer through all life's journeys. They are always carefully made with beautifully engraved patterns. Materials used are tin, copper, brass, aluminium, silver and leather.

References: ‘Tuareg Jewelry’ by H. Hagan & L. Myers, published by Xlibris 2006
‘Africa Adorned’ Angela Fisher’ published by Collins 1984

Provenance: Ex. Romy Rey Collection.
Romy Rey (1938-2020) was born in Zurich, Switzerland. She trained as an artist in Paris and Geneva before settling in London in the early 1960s where she was a partner in two bookshops in Hampstead and Richmond. She shared her life with the artist, Brian Davies (1942-2014). The whole of her five-storey house in Richmond bustled with her “impeccably curated” collection of ethnographic art. Purchased at one of the disposal auctions

Dimensions:
80mm x 78mm x 9mm
Weight: 32gm

Condition: very attractive. W1160/8