Toussian Cowrie Shell Currency Armlet fishbones Sickness or injury causes this

Sickness or injury causes this essence to retreat toward the spine

sago for sustenance

exchanged for gold

attests to its centuries-old history

Attire was minimal: men wore penis sheaths (koteka) and decorative ornaments of feathers

Toussian Cowrie Shell Currency Armlet fishbones Sickness or injury causes thisToussian people, late 19th to early 20th century, Burkina Faso, West Africa A charming and evocative aged cowrie shell armletoriginally a form of currencycomposed of 44 carefully cut cowrie shells threaded onto a slender cotton band. Light, tactile, and elegantly arranged, this piece embodies both adornment and economic history. Cowrie shells served as one of the earliest and most widespread forms of money, prized across Africa, Asia, Europe, and