Tuareg Tooled Leather Box

Wavy lines, rosettes, and a curtain-like pattern across a dark red lid.

This tooled leather and wood box is Tuareg, from Mali, West Africa, and is contemporary. Tuareg craftsmen are traditionally members of a specialist artisan group, and the same community often makes both the leather and the metal work. Rectangular lid with an embossed border of herringbone and wave motifs. A raised swag shape sits in the center, with a small flower at each upper corner. The finish is deep burgundy with lighter scuffs along the edges. It is 9.75 inches wide, 6 deep and 2.25 high.

Tooled and tucked in, with more flourish than the job required.