Origin: Niger
Dating: early XXI century

Set of five miniature spears, metal persons wrapped in red and colored leather belts.

On the coat of arms of the Niger, on the green shield on the left side, there are two Tuareg swords and a spear that symbolize people from the past. On sale, on a green background, it is located with gold, and to the right of it, an ear of millet, below it is a buffalo hoofd, i.e. symbols of agriculture and breeding. The colors in the coat of arms are also important, orange means desert, green - grassy plains, white - hope.

Tuaregs are spread throughout the Sahara desert, mainly in Algeria, Libya, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. They talk about themselves " Kel  tagoulmoust" - the people covering their face. In Europe, in particular in France, Tuaregs are called "Blue People" because of the color of their costumes and the dyeing of their skin with indigo dye.

Tuaregs were formerly known as warriors, plunderers, and slave owners. They played a major role in the history of the Sahara and West Africa. Militant and the main one for the states of Sudan, at the same time delivered in the period of their celebration of great warriors. The Tuareg kept in their hands the Trans-Saharan trade, and the very sustained trade of salt.

The spear is one of the oldest weapons, both hunting and warfare. The Tuarene men in the 19th century engravings are depicted with weapons made of a spear, a dagger for the left forearm, and a takouba sword.

Bibiliography:

- L. Lain, F. Calloni, Tam tam, 1992.

- A. Rybiński, Tuaregs from the Sahara, Warsaw 2015.

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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".