Cowrie - Wikipedia
网页Cowrie shells. The shells of cowries are usually smooth and shiny and more or less egg-shaped. The round side of the shell is called the Dorsal Face, whereas the flat under side is called the Ventral Face, which shows a long, narrow, slit-like opening (aperture), which is often toothed at the edges.
Cowrie Shells and Trade Power | National Museum of African ...
网页Cowrie shells were traded for goods and services throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, and used as money as early as the 14th century on Africa’s western coast. Because the shells were small, portable, and durable, they served as excellent currency and were almost impossible to counterfeit, appearing in standard weights.
Cowrie | Sea Snail, Shells, Mollusk | Britannica
网页Cowrie, any of several marine snails of the subclass Prosobranchia (class Gastropoda) comprising the genus Cypraea, family Cypraeidae. The humped, thick shell is beautifully coloured (often speckled) and glossy; the apertural lips, which open into the first whorl in the shell, are inrolled and may.
The History of the Cowrie Shell in Africa – and its Cultural ...
网页2020年10月7日 · Did you know that the humble cowrie shells we sport freely today were once one of the most important symbols of wealth and money for centuries? It was a universal form of currency whose relevance weaved into the cultural fibre of …
The Ocean’s Currency: Cowrie Shells in African Art
网页2023年10月3日 · These shells are one of the most widespread and longest lasting currencies in the world. Once home to marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cypraeidae —there are close to 200 species—these shells were acquired in abundance in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Examples of monetaria annulus.
What Do Cowrie Shells Mean? - Symbol Sage
网页2023年10月30日 · What is a Cowrie Shell? The word Cowrie or Cowry comes from the Sanskrit word kaparda which means small shell. The term is generally used to classify marine snails and gastropod mollusks. Cowries are predominantly found in coastal areas, particularly in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
The origin story of cowrie shells, their significance and ...
网页2023年6月26日 · Cowrie shells are small, smooth shells that have a shiny, porcelain-like appearance and are usually light beige in colour. They possess an elegant oval shape and are characterized...