Cowries

Jackie Kling COWRIES 



Five Cowries Many Cowries Single Close up Cowrie Nigeria

DEFINITION: @http://www.yourdictionary.com/cowrie Why are Cowries so Important? @http://www.blackhistorypages.net/pages/cowrie.php
 * 1) Any of various tropical marine gastropods of the family Cypraeidae, having glossy, often brightly marked shells, some of which are used as currency in the South Pacific and Africa.
 * 2) Any of a number of gastropods (family Cypraeidae) having brightly colored, glossy shells and found in warm seas
 * 3) The shell of any of these mollusks, esp. the shell of the money cowrie (Cypraea moneta), formerly used as currency in parts of Africa and South Asia

Cowrie shells were the most popular currency within Africa. The Egyptians considered them to be magical used them as money. They were found in tombs of Egypt.

Later, cowrie shells were brought to Africa from the Indian Ocean. They went through Egypt, across the Sahara and were brought in the Guinea Coast ports of West Africa (NIGERIA)

The Europeans were astonished that the Africans preferred cowrie shells to gold coin and in places where gold was the international unit of foreign exchange, cowrie shells were used to purchase small necessities.

Cowries were used for bridewealth, payments, funerals, clothing, drums, headdresses, ritual masks and furniture, and in games.