During the times where Christianity was just beginning shells from the ocean were used during the Christian pilgrimages. These shells were used as bowls as the Christians went from home to home asking people to fill their hands with water as well as food. No matter what class in society they were from, poor or rich, they were able to fill the shell all the way to the top. Due to this observation Christians believed that the shell could be used for baptism purposes, filling it with holy water. The painting The Birth of Venus by Boticelli, shows this purity by having Venus standing on a shell. The sea shell could also be a symbol of salvation like the boat. Although the boat helps one from salvation by preventing drowning in the ocean, the shell brings salvation by bringing relief to stresses. For many years people have grown accustomed to and have been curious to collect shells that are pushed onto the sand from the ocean. Many people have stated that by collecting shells they feel this form of relief and peace. The sea shells are then used for more stress relieving activities like jewelry making or even making designs or murals on buildings. Simon Rodia is a famous Italian artist that is known for scavenging shells on the beach and then using them in sculptures; the Watts Towers is an example of one of his works that contain this material.
