This is a serious enquiry !!!
I have a strange Ethnic Tribal Object - a dark brown decorated case, c6" long, which pulls apart in the middle to open.
I have a strong suspicion that its made from the foreskin of a bull’s or other animals penis and was used in fertility rites or perhaps in circumcision ceremonies.
I had it in my brain that the word for this would be a "carapace" but when I looked up that word,  it didn’t seem to fit. The definition referred only to hard outer skeletons such as a tortoise shell.
Could this definition be streached to include such an object ??? It seems a big stretch and would only fit in the more general sense of a protective outer covering.
A friend has also heard this word to describe an object like the one I have.
I would be very grateful for opinions and any other suitable word suggestions. Thank you Peter

Dear Peter,

I think it will be impossible for anyone to provide you with a word based on the information you supplied.

Can you tell us anything about the source of this object?
Is it from the arctic or the antarctic or the topics?  Is if from Asia, the Pacific Islands South America . . . ?  How old is it?  What were you told about it when it came into your hands?

Maybe with a little more information, someone will be able to guess what it is.

Cheers, BNJTOKYO

Thanks BNJTokyo
The  the dotted decoration is so simple that it could be from Africa, Papua…could be AmerIndian or Australian Aborigine. I was told nothing.

However regardless of age or origin,  my question related to the elasticity of the word CARAPACE and whether it could be used to decribe such an item.

SHEATH is another word that comes to mind, but is usually used to describe the covering of a knife, which this could not be, as its double ended and too small.
Otherwise I’m reduced to describing it as a CASE or CONTAINER which doesn’t do it justice !!!

I guess it would be the right size for containing arrow tips for hunting in the forest in which case I believe it would be a SHITHER - but Im not sure if Ive got that word or its spelling right !!!

I think you’re going to have to take the object (or it’s photograph) around to a local expert at a museum or college or the like.  The range of possible objects is simply too large.  

Good luck, BNJTOKYO