Marcus Chen
The practice of wearing lip plates is prominent among several African tribes, including the Surma, Mursi, Makonde, and Chai and Tirma. The lip plates are made of clay or wood and are inserted into a hole or incision made in the lower lip, which is then stretched over time to accommodate larger plates. While the lip plates are often decorated with patterns and paint, the meaning and significance of the practice vary across different tribes. For some, they serve as a symbol of social status, adulthood, fertility, or female strength and self-esteem, while for others, they are associated with marriage dowries and cultural traditions. Despite facing criticism and pressure from governments and some community members due to potential health risks, the practice persists, with some defending it as a dignified part of their cultural identity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Ethiopia, Sudan, Mozambique, Tanzania, Chad, Brazil, North America, Balkans |
| Tribes | Surma, Mursi, Suri, Makonde, Zo'e, Guarani, Tupi, Chiriguano, Nuba, Lobi, Elite Kaiapo, Amazonian tribes, Haida, Tsimshian, Tlingit |
| Gender | Women, except Makonde and some Amazonian tribes where men also wear lip plates |
| Age | Girls between 13-18 years old |
| Occasions | Celebrations, ceremonies, marriage, initiation ceremonies |
| Materials | Clay, wood, ebony, light wood, pottery |
| Size | 4 cm to 25 cm in diameter, the largest recorded was 59.5 cm in circumference and 19.5 cm wide |
| Procedure | Lip piercing and stretching, bottom incisors knocked out, lip cut |
| Healing | A white or black paste called 'lommai' is applied to aid healing |
| Symbolism | Social status, female strength, self-esteem, adulthood, fertility, beauty, a bridge between the biological and social self |
| Criticism | Harmful practice, health risks, unattractive due to drooling |
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What You'll Learn
Lip plates as a rite of passage
Lip plates are a rite of passage for girls of the Surma people of Ethiopia, specifically the Mursi and Suri tribes. When a girl turns 15, she goes through 'bansai', a transition from girlhood to womanhood. To mark this, the girl's mother or another female relative initiates the process of inserting a clay or wooden lip plate. The girl's bottom incisors are knocked out, and her bottom lip is pierced with a sharp stick. It is then stretched until it can hold the first plate, which usually has a diameter of 4 cm. The girl's lip is left to heal for about two weeks before inserting a bigger lip plate. After the initial stretching, the process of enlarging the hole does not hurt significantly, and the lip can be stretched to accommodate plates as wide as 25 cm in diameter.
The lip plate is seen as a symbol of beauty fertility, strength, and steadfastness within the Surma community. It is also associated with social status, with larger plates indicating higher status and increasing dowries. The practice of wearing lip plates is said to have started to discourage slave traders from stealing their women. The lip plates can be removed, leaving a long dangling lower lip. However, they must be worn on special occasions like weddings or donga, a contest in which men duel with long wooden poles. The women must also wear the lip plates when serving food to men.
The wearing of lip plates is a voluntary practice, and many Surma women take pride in it. However, the younger generation is increasingly opting out of the practice, and the Ethiopian government is putting pressure on the Surma to stop, tagging it as a harmful traditional practice. Despite this, there seems to be little resistance to the practice within the community, and the Surma people argue that it is a dignified cultural tradition that should be respected and preserved.
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Lip plates as a sign of status
Lip plates are a form of body modification that has been practised by various ethnic groups in Africa, most notably the Mursi, Suri, and Makonde peoples. The lip plate, known as "dhebi a tugoin" in the Mursi and Surma tribes, is inserted into the lower lip and can be made of wood, clay, or pottery. The practice of wearing lip plates is often associated with social status, beauty, fertility, and cultural identity.
Among the Mursi, Suri, and Makonde tribes, the size of the lip plate was indicative of social or economic status. Larger plates were associated with higher social standing and could lead to larger dowries, typically paid in cattle. This connection between lip plate size and dowry was particularly prominent among the Mursi and Suri tribes, where the practice of lip plates is still prevalent today. The larger the plate, the more cattle would be received as dowry, with some sources stating that a woman with a large lip plate could receive up to 60 cattle as part of her dowry.
The lip plates were also seen as a symbol of beauty and fertility within these communities. Women with lip plates took great pride in this aspect of their culture and identity. The process of inserting and stretching the lip was usually initiated by the mother or another female relative when a girl turned 15, marking her transition from girlhood to womanhood. While this practice has faced criticism for its potential health risks and complications, it is still considered a dignified cultural tradition by many within these communities.
In addition to social status and beauty, lip plates also held cultural significance. Among the Surma people, oral tradition holds that the practice of wearing lip plates began to discourage slave traders from stealing their women. The plates were thought to make the women less appealing to slave traders, thus protecting them from being taken. This belief adds to the sense of strength and steadfastness that the lip plates symbolise within the community.
While the practice of wearing lip plates has declined in some communities, such as the Makonde, it still persists among the Mursi and Suri tribes. The Mursi, in particular, have become a prime attraction for tourists curious about their unique cultural practices. However, this has also led to concerns about the commodification and objectification of Mursi women, who are sometimes treated as tourist attractions due to their lip plates.
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Lip plates as a tourist attraction
Lip plates have been a distinctive feature of several tribes in Africa, including the Mursi, Suri, and Makonde. However, in recent times, the practice has been mostly confined to the Mursi and Suri tribes in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia, making them a prime attraction for tourists.
The lip plate, also known as a lip plug or mouth plate, is a form of body modification where increasingly large discs, usually made of clay or wood, are inserted into a pierced hole in the lower lip, stretching it over time. The Mursi and Suri tribes are among the last African ethnic groups that still embrace this tradition, with young women undergoing the process as a rite of passage into womanhood around the age of 15.
The lip plates have become a chief visible distinguishing characteristic of these tribes, and their uniqueness draws tourists from around the world to the Omo Valley. The Mursi and Suri women are known to adorn their lip plates with patterns and paint, especially during cultural tours and photography tours, attracting curious onlookers and photographers alike. The "pay-per-click" method of payment employed by some Mursi villages further incentivizes the women to showcase their lip plates to tourists, providing a source of income for the tribe.
While the practice of lip plates has been criticized as harmful by the Ethiopian government and some community members, others argue that it is a dignified cultural tradition that should be respected and preserved. The women of the Mursi and Suri tribes take pride in their lip plates, seeing them as a symbol of beauty, identity, and cultural heritage. The size of the lip plate is often associated with social or economic importance, with larger plates signifying higher status and potentially increasing dowries.
The Suri Tribe, located in the Upper Omo Valley near the border of South Sudan, presents additional challenges for tourists due to its isolated location. However, photographers are drawn to the creativity and styling of the Suri people, who are known to enjoy having their photos taken. The accessibility of the Mursi Tribe in the Lower Omo Valley makes them more frequently visited, and they have become accustomed to interacting with tourists and showcasing their unique traditions.
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Lip plates as a symbol of female strength
Lip plates, also known as lip plugs, lip discs, or mouth plates, are a form of body modification. Circular discs, usually made from clay or wood, are inserted into a pierced hole in the upper or lower lip, stretching it. This practice has been observed in various cultures around the world, including in Africa, South America, and North America.
Among certain African tribes, such as the Mursi, Suri, and Surma, lip plates have been traditionally worn by women as a rite of passage and a symbol of beauty, fertility, and social status. The process typically begins around the age of 15, with the girl's mother or female relative performing the piercing and inserting the initial clay or wooden lip plate. The bottom incisors are removed, and the lip is pierced and gradually stretched to accommodate larger plates over time.
While there are varying interpretations of the practice's origins, one common belief is that it served as a deterrent to slave traders, disfiguring women to make them less appealing to captors. Additionally, it has been suggested that the size of the lip plate correlates with the bridewealth or dowry, indicating the number of cattle paid by the husband's family. However, some anthropologists, like David Turton, dispute this claim, noting that marriages and dowries are often arranged before the lip-plate process begins.
Despite facing criticism for its potential health risks and harmful associations, the tradition of wearing lip plates persists among some African tribes, particularly the Mursi and Suri/Surma in Ethiopia's Omo Valley. For these tribes, the lip plate has become a distinguishing characteristic, attracting tourists from around the world. Within these communities, the practice is a source of pride and a symbol of female strength and self-esteem. Shauna LaTosky, an expert on the Mursi, notes that while the plates may affect a woman's gait and speech, they do not impede her ability to sing or communicate and even allow for energetic dancing.
In summary, while lip plates have faced scrutiny and pressure for suppression due to health concerns, they continue to hold cultural significance for certain African tribes. For the Mursi, Suri/Surma, and others, lip plates have become a symbol of female empowerment, beauty, and social status, with women taking pride in their unique adornment. The practice underscores the importance of respecting and preserving cultural traditions, even in the face of external criticism and colonial perspectives.
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Lip plates as a part of body modification
Lip plates, also known as lip plugs or labrets, are objects, usually ring-shaped, inserted into the lips to alter their shape and are used as decorations or body modifications by certain ethnic groups. The size of the lip plate is often a sign of social or economic importance in some tribes.
Among the Surma and Mursi people of the lower Omo River valley in Ethiopia, lip plates are a part of a girl's transition from girlhood to womanhood. At around the age of 15, a girl's bottom incisors are knocked out, and her bottom lip is pierced with a sharp stick. The lip is then stretched to accommodate a wooden peg, which is replaced with a bigger one after the wound has healed. This process is repeated until the lip can hold a clay plate, usually with a diameter of about 4 cm. The girl's lip is left to heal for about two weeks before inserting a bigger lip plate. To aid the healing process, a white or black paste called 'lommai' is applied. Once the desired size is achieved, there is no pain. However, this practice can lead to infections, gum irritation, and teeth gapping.
The lip plates are not permanent and can be removed during eating and drinking. The Mursi and Suri women wear their lip plates when serving food to their husbands or during celebrations and ceremonies. The size of the lip plate is also said to indicate the number of cattle paid as a bride price, with larger plates signifying higher status. The Makonde people of Northern Mozambique and Southeast Tanzania also wore lip plates on their upper lips, although this tradition has died out.
Lip plates are also associated with oration and singing, with the largest plates worn by the greatest orators and war chiefs. In South America, lip plates are usually made from light wood, while in the Pacific Northwest of North America, labrets have been used by both men and women for at least five thousand years. In Western nations, some young people have adopted larger-gauge lip piercings, with some large enough to wear proper lip plates.
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Frequently asked questions
The lines painted on African lips refer to the practice of lip plates, which are large clay or wooden discs inserted into the lips. This practice is prominent among the Surma people of Ethiopia, specifically the Mursi and Suri tribes in the Omo Valley. The lines on the lip plates are a form of ornamentation that holds cultural significance.
The reasons for wearing lip plates vary among different African tribes. For the Mursi and Suri tribes, lip plates signify a transition from girlhood to womanhood and are considered a symbol of female strength, self-esteem, and social status. They are also associated with higher dowries and are worn during celebrations and ceremonies. In South American tribes, lip plates are linked to oration and singing, with larger plates worn by the greatest orators and war chiefs.
Yes, there are valid concerns about the health risks associated with wearing lip plates. The process involves lip piercing and stretching, which can lead to infections. Additionally, some individuals may experience drooling due to the plates. As a result, there has been pressure from the Ethiopian government and community members to discontinue the practice.
