Art as process and product: patronage and the problem of change in Tuareg blacksmith/artisan roles

This article contributes to recent dialogues in anthropology and African humanities on the problematic translation and application of Western and non-Western aesthetic concepts—for example, ‘authentic’ ‘original’ and ‘touristic’—in the domain of artisan practices. It analyses, compares and contrasts art patronage among the Nigérien Tuareg in rural and urban social settings. The role of Tuareg ‘smiths’, a word variously translated in local conversation and ethnographic literature as ‘artisans’, ‘technicians’ and ‘jewellers’, suggests a need to revise cross-cultural perspectives on the ceremonial, aesthetic and commercial aspects of artisan activity. The article focuses upon changing roles, the materials craftsmen use and the beliefs surrounding blacksmiths. It argues that these complexes of action and belief have a bearing not solely upon art products but also on ritual and socio-economic processes to which producer, patron and audience contribute in different settings and contexts.