holed then strung (overall production method/technique)
Measurements:
overall: 27 cm x 19 cm x 2 cm; 10 5/8 in x 7 15/32 in x 25/32 in
Object Name:
alternative currency
Date made:
n.d.
Description (Brief):
One (1) cowrie shell necklace with one hundered and eleven (111) cowrie shells
Description:
Seashells circulated as a medium of exchange in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and North America. The cowrie shell, in particular, was a form of currency in West Africa during the transatlantic slave trade. West African cultures valued cowrie shells from the Indian Ocean and they became an accepted form of currency in the region. An estimated 344,000 people were captured in Africa and transported directly to mainland North America by 1776 and cowries facilitated these transactions alongside coins, manillas, and other local objects of exchange.
