“Cowrie shell” (332–30 BCE) is a public-domain (CC0) artwork, free to view, download and reuse for any purpose. It is catalogued from the open collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Cowrie shell

Cowrie shell

TitleCowrie shell
Date332–30 BCE 3rd century BCE
MediumShell
Holding institutionThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
Credit lineMuseum Accession
RightsPublic domain (CC0)

Explore the context

Keep exploring

Zoom out

High-resolution image collections

Browse ready-to-use, print-ready image packs.

See the collections ›

Or download just this one image (low-res) ›

Updated 2026-09-06