This hand-tooled leather wallet is not all that much to look at when folded up, but open it and it is a gift that just keeps giving, on and on and on and on! Some of the interior decoration, particularly the hand-colored passages of geometric patterns, is reminiscent of Plains and Plateau Native American parfleche bags, but I believe this is African, specifically Tuareg culture I think (a large Berber ethnic group, principally inhabiting the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern Algeria, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and as far as northern Nigeria), and at least references a tradition of intensively decorated bags and pouches that were worn around the neck and unfolded/unfurled vertically. Each section offers a pocket for holding things, often several layers of them, with flaps lifting to reveal more layers and more pockets and more decoration underneath. Quite fantastic, and rendered through a very intricate and elaborate combination of embossing, cutting, weaving, and hand-coloring.
Closed: 4 5/8 x 7 1/4 wide; all open 17 5/8” long x 7 1/4" wide. Good overall condition. Exterior when closed shows some surface wear and a few lost stitches along the edges. Interior in excellent condition, sturdy and sound.