Dogon Leather Bag, Mali

A leather pouch, a few beads, and the quiet confidence of something that has carried things.

Dogon people of Mali, West Africa, made this bag in leather, with cowrie shells and glass beads as decoration. Leather pouches are commonly used across the Sahel for carrying small personal items, and cowries are often associated with wealth and protection. The flap folds over a broad, rounded body, and a tassel of leather strips hangs from the closure, strung with a few white shells and green and red beads. The surface is dark brown, creased and softly polished by handling.

About 13 inches high and 14 wide, on a slim black stand. Hang your keys elsewhere. This one is above that.