Cowrie shells, those seashells that have crossed oceans and centuries
Small, smooth, and shiny, cowrie shells have traveled the maritime routes of the Indian Ocean to the African coast. Used for centuries as currency, they still carry a memory of exchange, tradition, and journeys. In MIYA's universe, these shells continue their journey, between history, material, and creation.
I remember these seashells that could be found in the markets in Côte d’Ivoire.
As a child, I used them to replace jacks, a game I played with my friends and sister in the schoolyard in Jamaica.
In English-speaking countries, the game involves tossing a small ball into the air and quickly picking up small objects before the ball falls back down. Traditionally it is played with small metal pieces, but children often improvise with whatever they have at hand.
Jacks game in a schoolyard
Because of their size and shape, cowries were perfectly suited to the game.
I can still picture those simple moments in schoolyards: the shells slipping through our fingers, laughter mixing with the sound of the ball hitting the ground.
At the time, I had no idea that these tiny shells carried within them a far larger story — a story of maritime routes, exchanges between peoples, and ancient traditions.
And even less that they would one day become one of the essential elements of my creations.
A traveling shell
Cowries mainly originate from the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.
Their smooth, almost porcelain-like surface and their gently rounded shape give them a distinctive presence—both simple and precious.
For centuries, they circulated along the trade routes of the Indian Ocean.
Collected in particular around the Maldives and Sri Lanka, they were transported by merchants to the African coasts, where they gradually became part of local systems of exchange and cultures.
These small shells thus traveled thousands of kilometers, carried by ocean currents and trade networks linking the shores of the Indian Ocean to Africa.
A currency before becoming a symbol
Between the 13th and the 19th century, cowries were used as currency in several regions of the world, particularly in West Africa.
In the empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhai, they were used to measure the value of goods, settle certain transactions and pay taxes.
Their success was based on several qualities: their durability, their small size which made them easy to transport, and their smooth, shiny shape that made them easily recognizable.
Through their circulation across several continents, cowries became one of the earliest forms of truly international currency.
From a medium of exchange to a symbolic object, cowries crossed oceans, cultures and centuries, carrying with them the imprint of trade routes and human imagination.
Symbols and meanings
Freed from their economic function, cowries continued to exist within traditions and cultures.
In several West African societies, they evoke protection, prosperity and fertility. Their organic, almost sculptural form has inspired many symbolic interpretations.
Cowries appear in headdresses, textiles and certain adornments, where they can mark social status, accompany rituals or carry a protective meaning.
They also play an important role in certain divination practices. When thrown onto a surface, their position and orientation are interpreted to illuminate a question or guide a decision.
In these moments of consultation, the shells become far more than simple objects: they are considered symbolic mediators between the visible and the invisible worlds.
Cowries are also sewn onto garments, attached to objects, or incorporated into protective amulets. Their presence is sometimes believed to attract luck, ward off misfortune, or encourage prosperity.
These multiple meanings contribute to the cultural richness surrounding these shells and explain why they continue today to inspire artists, artisans and creators.
Between memory and creation
Today, cowries continue to travel — no longer along commercial routes, but through art and craftsmanship.
They can be found in jewelry, textiles and decorative objects, where their presence evokes the sea, traditions and exchanges between cultures.
In the world of MIYA, cowries appear as fragments of history woven into natural materials. Combined with plant fibers, cords and Ashanti weights, they extend a silent memory — one of journeys, exchanges and traditions that cross oceans and generations.
MIYA's red heavy linen cushion with signature tassel and cowrie shells
They remind us that some objects carry far more than a decorative function: they tell stories of paths, encounters and memories.
And sometimes, they awaken a childhood memory — that of an improvised game in a schoolyard, where small shells became the treasures of a world waiting to be invented.
The joy of simple games, the kind that children today may never truly know, absorbed as they are by screens, phones and social media.
But that… is a story for another time.