Cowrie shell

Museum number:
5-15958
Permalink:
ark:/21549/hm21050015958
Alternate number:
B-1857 (previous number (Bascom’s number))
Accession number:
Acc.4677
Description:
large cowrie shell
Donor:
Berta Bascom
Collection place:
Ife, Nigeria
Verbatim coll. place:
W. Africa; Nigeria; Yoruba; Ife; Aje
Culture or time period:
Yoruba
Collector:
Berta Bascom and William Russell Bascom
Collection date:
1937-1951
Materials:
Cowrie shell
Object type:
ethnography
Function:
5.1 Religion and Divination: Objects and garb associated with practices reflecting submission, devotion, obedience, and service to supernatural agencies
Accession date:
December 15, 1995
Context of use:
possibly used as a good luck charm, or the like.
Department:
Africa (except Ancient Egypt)
Comment:
Notation on card: For witches; PAHMA Storage Loc: W 5-Bascom-6
Images:
Hearst Museum object 1 of 3 titled Cowrie shell, accession number 5-15958, described as large cowrie shellHearst Museum object 2 of 3 titled Cowrie shell, accession number 5-15958, described as large cowrie shellHearst Museum object 3 of 3 titled Cowrie shell, accession number 5-15958, described as large cowrie shell
Legacy documentation:
Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Cowrie shell, accession number 5-15958, described as large cowrie shell

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