Inspiration and research

I have a love of ancient chinese art and was able to find this brick of currency that was made by compressing tea into molds.

http://historyforkids.org/le

arn/economy/

This is a very compressed history of currency with a few images from various cultures that I thought looked interesting. The various currency are all completely diverse.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowry

Finally, I found a shell called a cowry. It is a shell found all over the world and has been used as currency in Africa, China, and India, as far back and 3000 years ago. Many people find the rounded, porcelain-like shells pleasing to look at and to handle.

I have decided to attempt to make a series of beads resembling various shells and create a hierarchy once my technique progresses.