Learn to craft iconic objects, both functional and decorative, of the Touareg people of West Africa. Includes profiles of Touareg Inadan artisans, their families, history, and culture told through interviews and never-before-captured photos. For metalworkers, jewelry makers, leather crafters, and anyone interested in learning the crafting techniques of the Indigenous peoples of the Sahara. This book is a rare look at the artisans of the Tuareg people, who have made their home in North and West Africa for untold generations. An essential part of their hierarchical society is the group known as "Inadan"-the artists and craftspeople who make and adorn day-to-day objects, tools, jewellery, and more. The artisans use local materials in traditional ways to make objects of utility and beauty. These pieces and the skills required to make them are passed from parent to child, often within closely knit family structures in which fathers, sons, mothers, and daughters work together. Through his unprecedented access to the Inadan, the author captures the fragile Inadan culture as revealed through their rituals and artifacts. To help keep Inadan skills alive, the crafters share them through step-by-step photos and instructions. Never-before-captured photographs by Tuareg craftsmen illustrate the materials and techniques used to create 40 objects, including crosses, swords, leather bags, musical instruments, and much more. These objects-both functional and decorative-teach traditional techniques to modern crafters, capturing the culture and folk craft of the Inadan. AUTHOR: Matthieu Cheminée is a French-born jeweler and the author of Jewelry of West Africa and The Art of Stamping. Matthieu's work has been shown in galleries in the US and Canada. He maintains a workshop and studio in Sutton, Quebec. SELLING POINTS: . Learn the traditional step-by-step techniques used to create 40 iconic objects of the Tuareg people . Includes profiles of many Inadan artisans and their family structures, training, and culture . The author was given unprecedented access to the Inadan, gaining insights previously unavailable to outsiders 300 colour images
