Art of Being Tuareg: Sahara Nomads in a Modern World [Hardcover]

Thomas K. Seligman (Editor), Kristyne Loughran (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2006

The art of being Tuareg has fascinated travellers and scholars alike throughout recorded history. The elegance and beauty of the Tuareg peoples, their dress and exquisite ornament, their large white riding camels, their refined song, speech and dance - all have been subjects of rhapsodic descriptions. Together they suggest a Tuareg 'mystique', an existence made into art and lived out in one of the world's harshest environments. "Art of Being Tuareg: Sahara Nomads in a Modern World" examines this 'mystique', or identity, as it has been constructed by the Tuareg themselves and by their observers. Historically, the Tuareg have been stereotyped in the West, seen as romantic desert-dwelling warriors and nomads, or even as 'bandits' resisting central governmental authority.What these generalizations fail to acknowledge are the complexities of Tuareg history and the remarkable resilience and responsiveness of this people to dramatically changing circumstances, especially their late-twentieth century adaptations to modernity. "Art of Being Tuareg", the rich, vibrant result of three decades of research and collaboration on the part of American, European, and Tuareg scholars and institutions, is one of only a handful of English-language volumes on Tuareg life and culture. Bringing together essays by many of today's most accomplished scholars of Tuareg art and society, it presents a comprehensive view of what it is to be Tuareg, exploring the remarkable arts that remain dynamic markers of the strength and perseverance of this highly inventive people.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thomas K. Seligman is John & Jill Freidenrich Director of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University. Kristyne Loughran is an independent scholar specializing in the Tuareg.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 291 pages
• Publisher: UCLA Fowler Museum (February 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974872962
• ISBN-13: 978-0974872964
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,775,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Being Tuareg is an Art, January 4, 2007

By 

Nancy T. Hernandez (San Mateo, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Art of Being Tuareg: Sahara Nomads in a Modern World (Paperback)

This book gives an excellent overview of the Tuareg Culture. It addresses the customs, history, Berber language and it's poetry, as well as the material culture of the Tuareg. The examples of the leather work and jewelry are superb. It was my pleasure to attend the sale of Tuareg jewelry at Fort Mason, CA, which is mentioned on page 67 of the book. This book is the catalogue for an exhibit which will visit the Cantor Center for the Visual Arts, at Stanford University, in 2007. If you like things Tuareg, you will love this book.