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this must be very old. Timbuktu was long under Moroccon influence, there are still many things today, which show South Moroccon influence. So it seems obvious that they also had Fibulae. However, in all my visits there (living in family houses, not in hotels..) I have never seen a woman attaching her clothes with a fibula, they usually tie a knot with the two ends of their body veils (tungu, howli). However, the first impression on looking at this drawing was, that it could be the origin of the Tuareg Veil weights, the Fibula main part has a strong resemblence with Tuareg veil weights, although it is more intricate than todays Tuareg jewellery. It would also explain why the Tuareg in the Niger have seldom such weilweights, while it is very frequent in Mali. Perhaps my theory is not correct, It is just a guess.
The veil weight theory is interesting and i often saw moorish woen from mauritania for example knoting their veils with two knots exactely at the very place where berbers attach their fibulas....so there sure have been a widespread use of fibulas in dresses deep in the sahara..
Thanx Eva
@Ayis: The inhabitants of TImbuktu are multi-ethnic. There are Tuareg (most of them living in their camp outside Timbuktu, but many also live in Timbuktu itself), there are Sonrai, Bella, Moorish, Peul, and probably others that I do not think of at the moment. The Moorish people have been quite numerous, and the cultures partly mixed. I have passed most of my time in the house of a Moorish person (from Mauritania), but when I am with my husband, we stayed in his family house (Sonrai). I can confirm that the Sonrai and the Moorish women where I stayed, knotted their veil together (in the place where one would have a fibulae), in fact, as I was wearing these dresses too, they knotted it for me and showed me how to knot them. Perhaps in earlier times, they used fibulae, or the richer ones still use fibulae, made of silver. Sometimes the families also intermarry, e.g. my Sonrai uncle in Gao got married to a Targia from Kidal, also one of the brothers of my husband got married to a woman from Kidal, but she is Moorish. It is quite interesting. So, back to your picture, the cultures in Timbuktu really are manifold, sometimes they mixed, and the whole became a fascinating place with fascinating people! I am so sad about what is happening now there
@Ayis, wonderful piece...........does the book (credits?) say where Gabus got his model from? If this piece (or similar is not in any museum) then a rare treasure has been lost.... The top part -where the ring is- is similar to some Moroccan fibulae and the bottom one to some parts of Tuareg veil keys...........maybe more intricate.
@ Eva, very interesting info. on the mid-Saharan population............What and who exactly are the Moorish tribes?
@Chantal : with Moorish tribes, I meant the Mauritanian people. They also have strong hierarchies, similar to the Tuareg, with the noble on top of the pyramid. A noble is white (or at least fair like a Moroccon), and these consider the black people of being less. It is a fairy tale, that there exists no racism in Africa. The lighter they are, the higher up they are in the hierarchy,but besides also family structures play a role.
wow, beautiful piece, as a complete piece, realy unusual. as separat pieces, i can say that the bottom is typical for Mauritania,mali,niger,nord nigeria and the rest of westafrica, known in Gold. the top, i see also 2 parts in one, the highest is almost the same south marocco and Mauritania cross, the lowest, some from the Niger crosses shape and some ashanti or toucouleur . all together with same european Barock taste. it should be in gold, this one looks silver ( throw the engraving )
verry interesting piece. i think it was not worn bei the fulani or touareg, as wroten, more from women with fibulas area origines, and for sure aristokratic .
for me, this is Pulaar smithwork
@chantal... Gabus doest say nothing more than these were worn by timbuktu women with moorish moroccan descent. Moorish actually are a berber arab mix. long ago close cousins of the tuareg they have surrendered their berber pecularities when defeated by arab bedouins thus adopting their language but still retain a strong berber culture especially in south Morocco.
I am dreaming of finding one of these loweirdly located fibulas far from the north african motherland such as this one...zerdalia have been offering a very odd pair for a moment now....suspecting it to come from somewhere in mauritania but unfortunately very highly priced.
Ayis, is that the pair of fibula that we were discussing some time ago? These are very stunning themselves. I would love to see a real photograph to see the construction techniques! These also remind me of Moroccan ironwork found on the hinges of old doors in the medina.
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