This fall we offer opportunities to look more closely at some of the objects in our acclaimed Objects of Wonder exhibition. In this program, we’ll focus on the array of cowrie shells featured in the gallery.
Marine biologist Chris Meyer will take you on a 30 year journey pursuing cowrie shells all over the world. Throughout human history, people have collected cowrie shells because of their exquisite beauty. The polished shells’ diversity and intricate patterns make them truly objects of wonder. The shells have been used in ceremony and fortune telling, as ornamentation, currency, and status symbols, and as a model group for scientific study. Come see these shells and learn why they are so spectacularly colored, what they can teach us about biodiversity, rarity and value, and participate in testing your own perception of beauty. We will address the impacts, benefits and ethics of collecting animals from the wild, for study, collections, and appreciation of our natural world. Learn how they have inspired Chris’s research and appreciation for the natural world and help us answer the question: “Why do we collect things?”
This program is part of the Beyond the Exhibition series, which features the content, curators, and conversations inspiring new and developing exhibitions at the National Museum of Natural History.
Visit the Objects of Wonder exhibition on the second floor of the National Museum of Natural History to view stunning cowrie shells. Open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Daily.
Learn more and RSVP for this event: http://go.si.edu/site/Calendar?id=101861&view=Detail&s_src=nmnh_web_FB
