Cowrie Coloring Pages

Sea Jewels! Smooth and Shiny Cowrie

Cowrie is a kind of seashell that lives in the ocean. Out of all the shells you can pick up on the beach, Cowrie is special because it is smooth and shiny, just like a polished jewel! It has a round, smooth shape. When you look at the bottom, you can see a long, narrow opening with a pattern that looks like tiny jagged teeth. Many live near rocky areas and coral reefs in warm seas. They hide in the shade of rocks during the day, and they move around at night to eat things like seaweed. Cowrie eats all kinds of food, including seaweed, sponges, sea squirts, and small dead fish. They use their rasp-like teeth to scrape up their food.

Types of Cowrie You Can See in Japan

There are many different types of Cowrie all over the world, and you can find them on beaches in Japan, too. Their sizes and patterns are completely different depending on the type.

• Medakara: This is the small Cowrie you can find most often in Japan. It has a purplish-brown pattern and features tiny black spots on the edge of its shell.
• Kiirodakara: A beautiful Cowrie that is yellow or yellow-green all over. Many of them live in warm southern seas.
• Hanamaruyuki: A Cowrie with a dark shell covered in lots of white, round patterns. Its beautiful design looks like snowflakes!
• Hoshidakara: This Cowrie grows very large and has many tiny spots scattered across its surface.

History of Humans and Cowrie

Cowrie has been treasured by people all over the world for a long, long time. Because it is smooth, beautiful, and hard to break, it was even used as money in ancient China, Africa, and parts of Asia! Thanks to its lovely look, Cowrie also has a long history of being used as good-luck charms and jewelry like necklaces.

How to Choose Your Colors

When you color the Cowrie coloring page, imagine you are making your very own shiny gem!

• Shell Colors: Every kind of Cowrie has totally different colors. Try picking your favorite colors like yellow, brown, purplish gray, or black. Leave some white spots to show off its shiny shell and make it look real.
• Patterns: Many types have round dots or side-to-side stripes. Try adding dots and lines using a darker color than the rest of the shell.
• The Belly Mouth (Opening): Color the long slit and the bumpy teeth on the bottom with white, pale cream, or pink to make it pop out!

Make It Look Shiny and Smooth!

The coolest thing about Cowrie is its super smooth shine! Try these neat trick to make it look bright and glossy.

• Highlights (Reflecting Light): The secret is to leave the brightest spots white without coloring them. If you leave a long white strip along the curve, it will look just like light shining on it!
• Color Blending: Gently mix your colors from dark to light as you color. This makes the shell look smooth and rounded!

Draw an Undersea World

Imagine where Cowrie lives and draw whatever you like around it. Add colorful coral reefs, seaweed, a pretty sandy beach, or sparkling underwater lights to create a wonderful ocean world!

Tips for Coloring Fun!

It is totally okay to use rainbow colors, gold, or silver that real Cowrie do not have! Have fun making your very own special "treasure" shell.

Why the shell is always smooth: Cowrie is wearing a "kimono"

Cowrie's shell is smooth and shiny like a gemstone, even when you find it on the beach. Actually, when living in the sea, Cowrie extends a soft body part called the "mantle" to wrap around its whole shell. This soft layer protects the shell from scratches and dirt, keeping it polished and shiny all the time.

Why the kanji for "buy" and "wealth" have the word "shell" in them

Long ago in ancient China, Cowrie shells were actually used as real money for buying and selling things. That is why Japanese characters related to money or valuable things—like "buy," "wealth," "savings," "coins," and "treasure"—all contain the character for "shell."

Cowrie was loved as a charm for raising children, too

Because of its shape, people have long cherished Cowrie as a good luck charm for safe childbirth. Even in the famous Japanese story "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," Princess Kaguya asks for a "swallow's cowrie shell" as one of her hard challenges. It shows that Cowrie has been seen as a precious treasure since long ago!