October 2025

Talisman Pouches and the Tuareg Tribe

I love traveling and one of the gifts of visiting foreign countries is discovering new art or art forms native to that region. I was in Morocco a couple of years ago and was in a very old shop near Marrakech. It was a feast to my senses! I have been to this shop before, but I never really checked out the second floor. Was I in for a surprise! The room with the pouches was dimly lit and nearly empty, and there they hung-these stunning bags, casually draped across the wall. They were beautifully complex and had a mysterious charm about them. What were these?