This morning’s sketch from the Random Object Randomogrifier turned out to be a cowrie shell… except it wasn’t just a shell.
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Looking closer, I realized the model had mantle details, which means it’s a depiction of a living snail, not just its shell. Cowries are sea snails, egg-shaped and usually about an inch long, though some grow up to eight inches. They’re famous for their shiny shells, polished constantly by the mantle that covers and repairs them.
Biologically, cowries are snails with a hidden spiral inside their shells. As adults the spiral becomes obscured by their polishing. They’ve got a keratin trapdoor for protection, and their shells are tough enough that only octopuses and some crabs can really get to them. They graze on algae around coral reefs, sharing the job of cleaning with tangs and angelfish but not competing directly.
That glossy finish is their signature, and it’s why they were prized for thousands of years as currency and jewelry across Africa and Asia. Dead cowries lying around the shore are the shiny ones people picked up, while live ones are matte from the mantle covering. Their beauty made them valuable, and their nocturnal habits probably kept people from overharvesting them alive.
Cowrie shells have been collected for centuries and are still sold today in seaside tourist shops. They’re also used in fortune telling in some African traditions, where the way they fall is interpreted for meaning. Not all species are doing well, though. Some, like the tiger cowrie, are considered endangered because they’re sensitive to water pollution, plastics, and coastal development. Their beauty has always been a blessing and a curse, but their role in history and biology makes them a fascinating little snail to study and draw.
Click here to watch this episode of Sketch & Coffee, Live!
Also, if you or a teacher friend are in need of a 20-30 minute lesson on cowries, feel free to download and share this lesson plan:
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