cowries

Definition

Small, glossy seashells, historically used as currency in parts of Africa and Asia, and now often worn as symbolic jewelry or decorative elements representing wealth, status, or ancestral connection.

Etymology

Derived from the Hindi 'kauri' and Sanskrit 'kaparda', these shells were widely used as a form of currency in the Indian Ocean trade before spreading to West Africa.

In the news

In Zantout's artwork, the cowries are used as traditional embellishments on an outfit to signify an inherent royalty and maternal endurance.

Sinatra Zantout and the portraiture of unseen women

The Nation Newspaper

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