Article Google Scholar Then, they moved up-country, to Delhi and beyond. As the tide turned, the cowrie came full circle – from an ordinary sea snail to becoming the anvil of human lives, to being dropped back into the tidal shallows, where it remains unmoved by the swirling chaos of the modern world. Shell money is made using a specific species of cowrie known as the money cowrie ( C. moneta ). Due to it’s peculiar form the cowry was also considered to be a fertility symbol, which made it extremely popular with a number of peoples. These marine snails are commonly found in the coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and therefore were used as currency by the peoples who had access to them. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team. JAN HOGENDOR By anNd MARION JOHNSON. They were also used as means of exchange in India. Seashells circulated as a medium of exchange in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and North America. And it wasn’t just slaves whose worth was measured by the cowrie. Shipped out from London on a first leg of the triangular routes of the slave trade, on arrival in Africa the shells would be exchanged for gold, ivory and slaves. Kaudis were used as a currency not only in Odisha but also in Bengal. Both Marion Johnson and Jan Hogendorn first became interested in the cowrie shell money of West Africa while living and working there, some 5,000 airline … Moreover, slaves were mentioned in the wills and inventories of the then rich and influential Anglo-Indians which demonstrates that slaveholding was ubiquitous. The harvesting and processing of the cowries differed according to region. Browse 760 cowrie shell stock photos and images available, or search for cowry shell or sea shell to find more great stock photos and pictures. Cambridge University Press, New York. £25.00. Jan 21, 2018 Boban ... and that is the shell of the money cowrie, Cypraea moneta. The … This study examines the role of cowrie-shell money in West African trade, particularly the slave trade. Cowrie shells use . See more ideas about slaves, shells, cowrie shell. Only cowries, which the Dutch called boesjes, were accepted as currency, with prices varying greatly over the years. These marine snails are commonly found in the coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and therefore were used as currency by the peoples who had access to them. and you may need to create a new Wiley Online Library account. Cambridge University Press, New York. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986 230. The most notorious of them were the groups led by the Mog (Burmese), the Portuguese, and the Dutch, who plundered ships in the commercial highway that the Bay of Bengal then was and sold the survivors into slavery. Slaves were a signifier of the malik's social status as well, as the number of slaves in employ indicated wealth and prosperity for the owner. This study examines the role of cowrie-shell money in West African trade, particularly the slave trade. Only cowries, which the Dutch called boesjes, were accepted as currency, with prices varying greatly over the years. But, as the slave trade grew, African kingdoms began to lose prominence in the growing global economy. Until at least 1650, this was a trade of equals, using a variety of currencies—most importantly, cowrie shells imported from the Maldives and nzimbu shells imported from Brazil. Cowrie currency was reported in China by the seventh century B.C., and in Indi A.Da b 400. y . However, the East India Company who had legitimised and took part in the slave trade were opposed to this move. By the early 18th century, hundreds of thousands of pounds of cowrie shells were being exported from South Asia to Europe, often as "packing peanuts" in the China trade, and then re-exported from Europe to Africa. Through these four avenues the significance and potential meanings of the cowrie shell found on archaeological sites in eighteenth century Virginia will come to light. All Rights Reserved. Cowrie shells, to be used as shell money, are collected and laid out to dry. This naming tradition is derived from a religious ritual performed by Hindus who promised a specific number of kaudis as a mark of obeisance to a deity while requesting for a male child, an heir. Cowrie shells, to be used as shell money, are collected and laid out to dry. Cowrie moneta, with hole in back. Hogendorn, Jan and Marion Johnson: 1986: The Shell Money of the Slave Trade. Before the abolition of the slave trade, large shipments of cowry shells were sent to some of the English ports for reshipment to the slave coast.. Huge amounts of Maldivian cowries were introduced into Africa by slave traders.. On the occasion of Lakshmi Puja in West Bengal, a basket is worshipped which is full of clams. (Curtin 1990:40–41). Enter your email address to receive our newsletter . Cowrie shells. Later, Ibn Battuta was in the Maldives around 1343 and during his 18 months’ stay there he witnessed cowrie trade at close quarters. : COWRIE SHELLS: The first use of cowries, the shells of a mollusk that was widely available in the shallow waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, was in China. Apart from the pirate ships, Dutch, English, and French commercial vessels often went rogue and plundered the coastal countryside, imprisoning men, and women. Because it has a unique vulva-like appearance and comes from the ocean, it is a sacred symbol of the Love Goddesses and Sea Goddesses of various cultures.There are hundreds of species of COWRIE, with shells of differing size, pattern, and colour. In western Africa, shell money was usual legal tender up until the mid 19th century.