The World's Most Beautiful Seashells

From the introduction of this 240-page book, shells and the creatures that make them have intrigued and benefited humankind since very ancient times. Not only have snails, oysters, scallops, and other mollusks been an abundant source of food, but their shells have also been employed worldwide as adornment, tools, money, and for a multitude of other purposes. Shells have been an inspiration, a motif, and a medium for handicrafts, art, and architecture. They have also gained religious significance in various cultures. Archaeologists have frequently found shells and shell artifacts buried with the bodies of priests, nobles, and other important personages. The book contains chapters on The Spiraled Shells, The Clam Shells, and The Chambered Shells, accompanied by dozens of beautiful color photographs.