A collection of six old hand-carved conus shell beads from Mauritania. They are a slightly domed shape. These would have been worn by women either as hair adornment, braided into their tresses, or as elements of a necklace, as they were viewed as symbols of fertility. They were also used for trading as currency.

References:

Grammet, I. and Meersman, M. (1998). Splendeurs du Maroc. Tervuren (Belgique): Musée royal de l'Afrique centrale, p330-333

Draguet, M. and Merode, N., 2020. Berber Memories. Yale University Press, p546