Origin:  Tuareg people, Mali

Local name: tagettiut (Tamasheq language) 

Dating: mid-20th century 

Dimensions: 

MŻo/A/4051: length 66.5 cm, width 18 cm, depth 2.5 cm

MŻo/A/4052: length 116 cm, width 12 cm, dia. handle 3.2 cm 

Material: wood; woodcarving techniques

Description: Poles of this type are placed inside the tent, but also outside, they are used to hang luggage on them. They have the form of a long wooden pole with an elongated, decorative panel at one end. The panels are decorated with engraved geometric patterns. The items are made of teak wood by Tuareg people near Gao in Mali (MŻo/A/4052), in the second one origin is not certain, probably this item comes from northern Mali or Niger (MŻo/A/4051). The poles are in good condition, visible signs of use. No visible damage or undertaken conservation measures. 

Tuareg people are a pastoral people who move from place to place, so it is in vain to look for sculptures or other decorative objects in their tents. Which does not mean that aesthetics is alien to them. Every item necessary to function in the household is beautifully decorated. A peculiar combination of utility  and  decorative function can often be seen. Objects of this type are made by craftsmen, one of the four groups - castes that make up the Tuareg society. The first item (MŻo/A/4052) was purchased in the field, at a market in Gao, and the other (MŻo/A/4051) in an antique shop in France. 

The facility was  purchased thanks to funding from by the National Institute for Museums and Public Collections.

Bibliography:

Rybiński Adam, Tuaregowie z Sahary. Tradycyjna kultura Tuaregów Kel Ahaggar na przełomie XIX i XX wieku, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Akademickie DIALOG, 1999. Edited by Lucjan Buchalik

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The purchase is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport as part of the National Institute of Museums and Collections' own program "Expansion of museum collections".