The Mursi Tribe Is A Tribe In Ethiopia, Found In The Southwest Part Of The Country. The Tribe Is Roughly Less Than 10,000 In Population, And Is Well Known For The Large Plates The Women Portray On Their Lower Lip.
When The Girls Reach The Age Of 15-16, Their Lower Lip Is Cut By Her Mother, Or Any Other Woman Of Her Settlement, And Left To Heal For About 3 Months.
The Girls Determine How Long They Want To Stretch Their Lip; Some Can Take Up To 12-13 Centimeters In Diameter.
The Custom Of Wearing A Lip Plate Is Linked To The Female’s Fertility And Eligibility For Marriage. It Is Often Said That The Women Who Don’t Wear The Lip Plate Are Considered Lazy, And Will Not Attract A Large Bride Wealth (Which Usually Consists Of A Dowry And A Certain Number Of Cattle).
The Lip Plates Are Usually Worn On Special Occasions, Such As Serving Men Food, Cow Milking, And Weddings. Unmarried Girls Might Wear Them Whenever They Are In Public.
Just Like Other Forms Of Body Decoration And Piercings Found All Over The World, The Lip Plate Worn By The Mursi Is Best Seen As An Expression Of Their Social Adulthood And Reproductive Capabilities. It More Identifies Them Between Their “Biological” And Their “Social” Self.
What Do You Think You Know About Them?
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Philip George
