The Digitisation of Ethnographic Objects Featuring Cowrie Shells in the Research Cluster ProSaDi: A Case Study of a 'Cartridge Pouch' from Togo

Our contribution highlights the technical challenges and potential insights for the humanities offered by digitisation, using a case study from our work on the digitisation of objects adorned with cowrie shells from the ethnological collections of the Landesmuseum Natur und Mensch in Oldenburg – specifically, an item recorded in the museum catalogues as a 'cartridge pouch' from Togo.
As a transdisciplinary team, we work together in the research cluster Provenienz- und Sammlungsforschung Digital (ProSaDi) to investigate the meanings and usages of cowrie shells in space and time. Cowries are native to the Indo-Pacific, but their shells are found globally in a wide variety of cultures, either as artefacts in their own right or as components of other objects (Haour and Moffett 2023; Moretzsohn 2023; Yang 2011, 2018). In large parts of Africa and the Indo-Pacific, they have been used for centuries as currency, religious artefacts, and ornaments on clothing and bodies (von Hesse 2023, Ogundiran 2002). European trading companies also used cowrie shells as a means of payment, primarily for the transatlantic slave trade (Gregory 1996; Heath 2016; Hogendorn and Johnson 1986; Yang 2018).
In addition to the historical, cultural and media studies examination of cowrie shells and ethnographic artefacts containing them in various forms, the testing and further development of technical methods such as 3D digitization and AI data processing is a central component of the project. This work is carried out in close collaboration with other disciplines, thereby expanding the scope of professional insights. Moreover, the subsequent provision of these data and models to a public audience raises ethical questions, as the digitised objects and their acquisition contexts often involve sensitive data that require consultation with source communities. The 'cartridge pouch' from Togo provides an interesting case in this regard.

This poster was created for the conference ‘Digital Turn. Collections – Provenances – Markets,’ which took place on 27 and 28 November 2025 at Humboldt University in Berlin.