These unique mats have been invented by the Tuareg tribes, living mainly in the dessert of Mauritania in N.W. Africa. Due to the extreme weather conditions in the area, these floor coverings are extremely tenacious and hard wearing. They are made of long slim bamboo or palm tree canes, tied up with leather “shoe lace like” bands, taken from camel or sheep skin.
The leather, besides its functional role, also provides the means of decoration, since it is the material used to form the design and application of color. Most interesting, are the “Vintage” Tuareg, (50-70 years old), but these are rare and more valuable. Several of them have a dense design and a variety of colors, as opposed to the new ones, which are monochromatic and with a simple geometric design.
During the last few years, the huge popularity of Tuareg mats, has resulted in their very high demand and hence a revival of these unique products is a fact, with prices rising equally quickly. They have been proven to be suitable for all kinds of decorations, except the “heavy classical” kind, where classical type carpets, whether new or antique, are definitely more becoming.
Tuareg’s are a completely new tool in the hands of decorators for both interior and exterior spaces, adding an exciting, fresh element in the atmosphere of a house, due to its unpretentious and honest simplicity.
