Examples of cowrie

• There are a number of cowrie types, many of which are both distinctive and quite localized in origin.

• While this report identifies cattle and salt as items exchanged for captives, cowrie shells were probably more important.

• Cowrie inflation and problems with local monetary structures gave the perfect excuse to colonial merchants and their governments to ban the use of indigenous currencies.

• Desert salt, cowrie shells and other scarce commodities were bartered for captives.

• Conversely, a cowrie-poor individual or lineage was unlikely to attain a position of status and power within the village or enter into beneficial relations of alliance with other groups.

• While certain tribes may still use salt and cowrie shells for their transactions, the effective globe is using coins and banknotes.

• Many people throughout history have found (and still find) the very rounded, shiny, porcelain-like shells of cowries pleasing to look at and to handle.

• The grave contained a flexed burial and over 200 iron beads, an ostrich eggshell necklace, a perforated cowrie shell, and iron jewellery.

• The ornaments are made of cowries and conch shells.

• The eyes are created using cowrie shells with a bitumen pupil.

• Cattle were very important: they were the main means of exchange, alongside cowrie shells (chisimbi).

• In the living cowries the mantle is dark brown and may cover the entire shell.

• In the living cowries mantle and foot are quite developed, with external antennae.

• A piece may enter the board on any throw of the cowries and moves to the square corresponding to the throw.

• In the living cowries the mantle is grey-brown and almost transparent, with long whitish tree-shaped papillae.