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COWRY SHELLS. Shells of the marine gastropods Cypraea Moneta and Cypraea annulus have been used as currency throughout the world for centuries, including much of Africa. Tons of these mollusks were harvested from the Indian Ocean where they are most numerous. For example, the Dutch and English who used the shells to purchase slaves imported 14, 900,000 pounds and the English 11, 000,000 pounds in the 18th century. Raw cowries were processed by burying them in large pits in the sand by the shore. Over time the mollusks decayed. The shells were excavated and rinsed before being sold and shipped around the world. As early as the 11th century cowries were transported across the Sahara Desert to West Africa by camel caravan. By the 15th century Europeans, especially the Portuguese, who had arrived at the Maldive Islands in search of spices, found a lucrative trade in cowries which could be used as ballast in their ships and then used to purchase goods and slaves in Africa. Eventually, the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and English were the leading traders who used cowries to buy slaves. The value of cowries fluctuated over time. In 1520 a slave could be bought for 6,370 shells or about 16 pounds. By 1680 a slave could cost between 10,000 and 31,000 cowries, and in the 1770s the price was 160,000 to 176,000. The shells were monetized in bunches on strings or by the pound. The last major shipment of cowries to be used as currency was in 1891, Nigeria banned the import of cowries for currency in 1904 and would no longer accept the shells as payment of taxes after 1911. However, cowries still were used for some transactions in West Africa. In Nigeria, they were used as bride price until after World War II, rising from 36,000 shells in 1939 to 720,000 shells by 1949. (A) String of 100 shells. This was a common unit of value which could also be worn as a necklace. These have the ivory hue of old shells; new shells are whiter. Weight 8oz. (B) Bag of loose shells of various sizes. Weight 9.9 oz. (C) Necklace worn by a priest of the God (Orisha) Eshu. Eshu is associated with wealth obtained in the market place. Strands of very old cowry shells. See picture of dance wand carried by a worshipper of Eshu with similar strands of cowries. On custom base. Leather, cowry shells. H 36in.
