Cowry shells (also spelled cowrie), are marine snails of the genus Cypraea (family Cypraeidae), found chiefly in tropical regions. The shell itself is almost always smooth (a few species have granular shells) and more or less egg-shaped, with a long, narrow, slit-like opening (aperture). All varieties have a porcelain-like shine (except Hawaii's Granulated cowry) and many have colorful patterns. Lengths range from 5 mm (1/5") for some species up to 15 cm (6") for the tiger cowry, Cypraea tigris. Various seashells Danielle A shell is the hard, rigid outer covering, or integument, allanimals. ... Animated map exhibiting the worlds oceanic waters. ... The name snail applies to most members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... a family of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 1997 Family is a Western term used to denote a domestic group of people, or a number of domestic groups linked through descent (demonstrated or stipulated) from a common ancestor, marriage or adoption. ... Genera See list. ... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10-3 m and 10-2 m (1 mm and 1 cm). ... The hierarchy of scientific classification. ... Orders of magnitude (length) 1 E-13 m 1 E-12 m 1 E-11 m 1 E-10 m 1 E-9 m 1 E-8 m 1 E-7 m 1 E-6 m 1 E-5 m 1 E-4 m 1 E-3 m 1 E...

Various species of cowry from all over the world.

Malayalam name = Kavady Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1665x1326, 1264 KB) Various cowrie species Licence: self-made photo, February 2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Cowry ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1665x1326, 1264 KB) Various cowrie species Licence: self-made photo, February 2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Cowry ...

Cowries (esp. Cypraea moneta) were used as a currency in Africa (Ghanaian cedi in Ghana named after cowry shells) and elsewhere, such as in China where the shell or copies of the shell were in theory used as a means of exchange. They are also worn as jewelry or otherwise used as ornaments or charms, as they are viewed as symbols of womanhood, fertility, birth and wealth. Many find the shiny, porcelain-like shells pleasing to look at. Binomial name L., 1758 Cypraea moneta, commonly known as the Money Cowry, is a marine gastropod of the genus Cypraea. ... The cedi is the unit of currency of Ghana. ... Jewelry (the American spelling; spelled jewellery in Commonwealth English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ... Fashion illustration by George Barbier of a gown by Jeanne Paquin, 1912, from La Gazette du bon ton, the most influential fashion magazine of its era. ... Look up charm in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... “Fine China” redirects here. ...

Cowry shells are sometimes used in a way similar to dice, e.g., in board games like Pachisi, or in divination (cf. Ifá and the annual customs of Dahomey). A number of shells (6 or 7 in Pachisi) are thrown, with those landing aperture upwards indicating the actual number rolled. Two standard six-sided pipped dice with rounded corners. ... A board game is any game played with a premarked surface, with counters or pieces that are moved across the board. ... a pachisi board Pachisi is a board game thought to originate in India; it is described as the national game of India. ... This article is about the religious practice of divination. ... Ifá is a system of divination that originated in West Africa among the Yoruba people. ... Every year in the Kingdom of Dahomey, a huge festival in honor of the ancestors was organized called the annual customs. In the customs, the king would assemble the entire court, foreign dignitaries, and the populace. ... Dahomey was a kingdom in Africa, situated in what is now the nation of Benin. ...

Cowries have also been used in the recent past as a frame over which sock heels were stretched for darning. The cowry's smooth surface allows the needle to be positioned under the cloth more easily.

The Ojibway aboriginal people in North America used the cowry shells (which they called sacred Megis Shells or whiteshells) in Midewiwin ceremonies, and the Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba, Canada is named after this type of shell. There is some debate about how they traded for or found these shells so far inland, away from the natural sources. Oral stories and birch bark scrolls seem to indicate that they were found in the ground, and/or washed up on the shores of lakes or rivers. The cowry shells so far inland may indicate the use of them by an earlier tribe or group in the area, and an extensive trade network in the ancient past. Petroforms in the Whiteshell Provincial Park may be as old as 8,000 years, and there are questions about how long the shells were used in that area as well. For other uses of Chippewa, see Chippewa (disambiguation). ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Whiteshells, or Cowrie shells were used by aboriginal peoples around the world, but the word whiteshell specifically refers to shells used by Ojibway peoples in their Medewin ceremonies. ... The Midewiwin (also spelled Midewin and Medewiwin) is from the term for the Grand Medicine Society of the aboriginal groups of the Maritimes, New England and Great Lakes regions in North America. ... Whiteshell Provincial Park is one of the Provincial Parks along the eastern border of Manitoba, near Ontario, Canada. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) BC AB SK MB ON QC NB PE NS NL YT NT NU Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard - Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 14 - Senate seats 6 Confederation... The Ojibwa (Anishinaabe) people of North America had written down complex geometrical patterns and shapes on birch bark scrolls. ... Petroforms are large shapes that were made out of large rocks. ... Whiteshell Provincial Park is one of the Provincial Parks along the eastern border of Manitoba, near Ontario, Canada. ...

Species

Binomial name Boderip, 1827. ... Binomial name Schilder & Schilder, 1937. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range Cypraea mauritiana, or the humpback cowry, is a gastropod mollusc of the family Cypraeidae, normally restricted to wave-washed basalt cliffs or breakwaters. ... Binomial name L., 1758 Cypraea moneta, commonly known as the Money Cowry, is a marine gastropod of the genus Cypraea. ...

See also

• Shell-money

Shell money is a medium of exchange common to many primitive races, consisting of sea shells or pieces of them worked into beads or artificially shaped. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Cypraeidae

• cowrys.org
• Cowrie Genomic Database Project
• Genus Cypraea on Animal Diversity Web
• Cowries.info