When the spiraled white shell of a precious wentletrap was sold at auction in 1750, the highest bidder was none other than the Holy Roman Emperor, who shelled out no less than 4,000 guilders for the ...

You may have a vague understanding that cowries were once used as currency in ancient times. You might even associate cowrie shells with the Western culture in Nigeria, particularly among the Yorubas.

All these snakehead cowries were found dead. Sand grains wedged in the opening are a sure sign that neither the cowry nor a hermit crab lives inside. Select an option below to continue reading this ...

Shells are the true gems of the ocean and a beachcomber’s most prized find. Although, commonly used today to adorn necklaces, earrings and bracelets, or to decorate the home, shells and their ...

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... “Before you do anything else,” curator Chris Meyer said the minute I arrived at the National Museum of Natural History’s Invertebrate Zoology collection, ...

While snorkeling off a windward beach, I found a marine animal on the ocean floor in about 10 feet of water. The creature lay buried in the sand, belly up, with just its teeth showing. I could barely ...

This Diwali 2025, it’s not just about lights and laddoos; it’s about faith in the smallest things. Cowrie shells, known as symbols of Goddess Lakshmi, are believed to attract prosperity when placed in ...

The Hawaiian tiger cowry is one of the largest cowries in the world, and one of Hawai‘i’s most famous shells. Most people have seen them for sale in shell shops, jewelry stores and variety stores, as ...

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, amid the pomp of Donald Trump’s second inauguration, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson stood out from the crowd. Seated among a sea of white conservatives and ...

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more. Seashells circulated as a medium of ...

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson didn’t just attend the 2025 presidential inauguration—she made a statement. And people are still talking about it. Poised, powerful, and intentional, ...