cowrie
Glossy tropical shell
A cowrie is a small marine snail with a glossy, porcelain-like shell, found in warm seas.
The shells have served as currency across Africa, South Asia, and the Pacific for millennia, and remain culturally significant in jewelry, divination, and decoration: a necklace strung with cowrie shells.
Also spelled cowry.
Mollusk's discarded exoskeleton
- gastropodSingle-shelled soft creature
- molluskSoft-bodied invertebrate, often shelled
- snailShelled, slow-moving mollusk
- conchSpiral-shelled marine gastropod
whelk · periwinkle · limpet · abalone · nacre · mantle · operculum · radula
Currency for transactions
- tradeExchange of commodities
- barterDirect goods-for-goods exchange
- exchangeMutual giving and receiving
- transactionExchange of goods/money
commerce · wealth · value · denomination · commodity · payment · tender · medium of exchange
Massive saltwater body
- reefUnderwater rock or coral formation
- tidepoolCoastal rock hollow holding seawater
- intertidalZone between high and low watermarks
- subtidalPermanently below waterline
littoral · saltwater · tropical · Indo-Pacific · Maldives · seabed · sandy · shallow
Authoritative wisdom source
- castingShaping through liquid form
- readingInterpreting written text
- fortune-tellingClaiming to predict futures
- SanteríaSyncretic Afro-Cuban religion
Yoruba · obi · sacred · ritual · spiritual · ancestors · prophecy · ceremony
Ornamental personal accessories
- necklaceNeck-worn ornament
- braceletOrnamental wrist band
- beadsSmall pierced ornaments for stringing
- pendantSuspended jewelry ornament
anklet · headdress · sewn · strung · decorative · ornamental · embellishment · costume
Individual for examination
- rareSeldom found or seen
- antiqueOld valued collectible
- curioOdd collectible item
- cabinetEnclosed storage furniture
collection · numismatic · hobbyist · auction · vintage · display · natural history · souvenir
seashell
Mollusk's discarded exoskeleton
- gastropodSingle-shelled soft creature
- molluskSoft-bodied invertebrate, often shelled
- snailShelled, slow-moving mollusk
conch · whelk · periwinkle · limpet · abalone · nacre · mantle · operculum · radula · univalve
money
Currency for transactions
- tradeExchange of commodities
- barterDirect goods-for-goods exchange
- exchangeMutual giving and receiving
transaction · commerce · wealth · value · denomination · commodity · payment · tender · medium of exchange · pre-colonial
ocean
Massive saltwater body
- reefUnderwater rock or coral formation
- tidepoolCoastal rock hollow holding seawater
- intertidalZone between high and low watermarks
subtidal · littoral · saltwater · tropical · Indo-Pacific · Maldives · seabed · sandy · shallow · warm waters
oracle
Authoritative wisdom source
- castingShaping through liquid form
- readingInterpreting written text
- fortune-tellingClaiming to predict futures
Santería · Yoruba · obi · sacred · ritual · spiritual · ancestors · prophecy · ceremony · offering
jewelry
Ornamental personal accessories
pendant · anklet · headdress · sewn · strung · decorative · ornamental · embellishment · costume · hair ornament
specimen
Individual for examination
cabinet · collection · numismatic · hobbyist · auction · vintage · display · natural history · souvenir · catalog
- cowries
- beachcombingseashell, shells, driftwood, sea glass, sand dollar
- mollusksclams, mollusk, mollusks, snail, snails
- nature findsfeather, seashell, fossil, pinecone, driftwood
- Pacific wildlifecoconut crab, flying fox, fruit bat, green sea turtle, frigatebird
- reef lifeanemone, sea anemone, anemones, brain coral, fire coral
cowriepaper money
Currency in bill form
coin · banknote · fiat currency · credit card · digital currency
- cowrie shellsMollusks used as currency