Quick Question: How many of you accessorize using cowrie shells / sea shells?
I bet you didn’t know that the humble cowrie shells we adorn ourselves so freely today were once one of the most important symbols of wealth and money for centuries. African masks found covered with rows of cowry shells symbolized great wealth, and attire which was covered with these shells indicated royalty.
Cowrie shells have been used as currency, charms, fashionable trinkets and other similar objects since times immemorial and carry a very different appeal from what jazzy gemstones and metallic jewelry exude. The cowrie shells were a universal form of currency whose relevance weaved into the cultural fibre of Ancient African societies and are sometimes used as dice, as in board games or in divination (foretelling the future or gaining occult knowledge) as well as to serve a significant role in acquiring a bride as part of the price in certain communities today. In recent years though, cowries have taken root in pop culture with people adorning the shells on instruments, attires, and hairstyles.
The shells were/are also regarded as a symbol of womanhood, fertility, and birth. In Japan, one of the names for a cowry shell translates to ‘the easy delivery shell’. Japanese women held cowry shells while giving birth believing it ensures a successful delivery.
Fun fact: The Ghanaian word “cedi” is Fanti language translation of “cowries”—and it also happens to be the name of the country’s unit of currency.
“Whoever is patient with a cowrie shell will one day have thousands of them”
— Hausa Proverb