Description
Featured here is the shell of a gold ring cowrie, a marine snail native to the east coast of Africa and regions in the Pacific. This shell, unearthed during archaeological excavations at Mount Vernon, dates to the eighteenth century and may have made its way to the Potomac River estate via the African slave trade. Cowrie shells like these were often used by Africans for personal adornment, religious ceremonies, or currency. The hole in this shell was formed naturally.
