Where did lip plates originate from?
Where did lip plates originate from?
The lip plate culture as a symbol of beauty and economic importance. he labret has been around since 3300 B.C. It is a custom practiced by people in Ethiopia, Sudan, and other places in the world like Coastal Ecuador (500 BC). It even spread to Mesoamerica (1500 BC).
Who invented lip plates?
The ancient Ethiopians and Nubians, as well as some indigenous peoples in South America, all invented lip plates. There are a number of theories as to how lip plating was invented among Africans. One holds that it was purposefully designed to make women look ugly so as to be unattractive to slave raiders.
What does the lip plate represent?
The lip plate carries a number of meanings. Firstly, it’s a symbol of great beauty. Secondly, it marks a commitment to the husband because it is worn with great pride when serving him food. If the husband dies, the lip plate is removed since a woman’s external beauty is said to fade after his death.
Does Mursi tribe still exist?
The Mursi (or Mun as they refer to themselves) are a Surmic ethnic group in Ethiopia. According to the 2007 national census, there are 11,500 Mursi, 848 of whom live in urban areas; of the total number, 92.25% live in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region (SNNPR). …
Why are lip plates considered beautiful?
In Africa, more precisely Ethiopia and tribes of the Mursi, Chai and Tirma, lip stretching or lip-plates (dhebi a tugoin) is seen as beautiful, denoting female maturity. Researchers claim that the lip plate worn by Mursi women is best seen as an expression of social adulthood and reproductive potential.
Why do Africans put plates in lips?
Women of the Mursi tribe may have their lips cut at the age of 15 or 16. A small clay plate is then inserted into the lip. The larger the clay plate, the more the woman is worth before she gets married. It is said that the clay plates were originally used to prevent capture by slave traders.
Are lip plates painful?
There is no pain at all once the lips are stretched to the satisfaction of the individual. In fact, it is common to see women massaging their lips, or even letting children play with their lips while on their laps.
What are lip plates made of?
Lip plates are usually made of clay or wood and range between 4 and 25 centimeters. To be placed on the lip, two or four teeth are removed before the lower lip is cut to fit the lip plate. This lip plate process is usually done by their mother when they attain puberty.
Which tribe puts plates in their lips?
Across the world, there are people who have not been swayed by the technological advancement but have rather maintained their traditional way of life. Some of this kind of people are found around Lake Turkana and the Lower Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia.
Why do African women wear lip plates?
African women in the Mursi tribe, a tribe famous for its lip plates, decorate their plates, turning them into complex works of art which are meant to reflect the personality of the owner. The Mursi are in fact so famous for their lip stretching that some people in the West refer to a lip plate as a Mursi.
Why do Africans have lip plates?
The Lip Plate. Considered a sign of beauty in the Mursi tribe of Ethiopia Africa, the lip plate is worn by women daily who seek acceptance and to appear desirable to men. When the women are ready to marry, they begin the process of the lip plate by making a hole in the lower lip with a wood stick which is expanded a little everyday.
What is plate lip?
The lip plate, also known as a lip plug or lip disc, is a form of body modification. Increasingly large discs (usually circular, and made from clay or wood) are inserted into a pierced hole in either the upper or lower lip, or both, thereby stretching it. The term labret denotes all kinds of pierced-lip ornaments, including plates and plugs.