More than just an appreciation of shells, this book captures all the artistry of the undersea world. Prized since ancient times for their beauty, shells appear in Mexican temple art, on Greek and Roman vases, in Renaissance paintings and architectural sculpture, and in modern jewelry and furniture. The artists themselves are thousands of species of mollusks, which produce shells of infinite shapes and sizes: the polished, the patinated, and the peculiar. From porcelain cones and miters to coleus and whirls, the collector's favorites account for barely five percent of known species (mollusks are the second largest phylum after arthropods), and it is possible we haven't even discovered half of them. They are abundant and widespread, living from the Arctic to the Antarctic, in oceans and in streams, ponds, and lakes on every continent. They have been discovered on high Himalayan peaks, in bleak deserts, and on sandy beaches as well as in shallow lagoons and water as deep as 21,00 feet. The marvelous collection of shells featured here is both a celebration and a scientific investigation.