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Mursi tribe lip plates, decorations & the milieu
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Re: Mursi tribe lip plates, decorations & the milieu
Dec 13, 2012, 10:31
Anew wrote:
The Mursi culture of southern Ethiopia has a (world famous) tradition of piercing women's lower lips to insert a plate which they feel makes them more beautiful . Often these plates are plain disks, but where they are embellished or holed the patterns look ancient and can suggest elements of the British Isles' archaeological milieu . Some links :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/4432246262/in/set-72157608644175542 ; This one shows twin rings with a joining cairn-like buckle and what may be symbols for the sun and moon.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/3067936867/in/set-72157608644175542 ; Another look at the above.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/3039903103/in/set-72157608644175542 ; A very similar lip plate.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/3393893459/in/set-72157608644175542 ; A radial pattern involving a small central ring and U shapes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/3069827069/in/set-72157608644175542 ; A small ring surrounded by double-rings and U shapes in a five-fold symmetry.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/4988902117/in/set-72157608644175542 ; A holed plate worn by a beautiful young woman.

Note also her earring's resemblance to a traditional shield design, (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/7821617902/in/photostream), and/or British bell barrows.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/5363405154/in/set-72157608644175542 ; A holed plate with U shapes in a six-fold symmetry.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/6177659807/in/set-72157608644175542 ; A mixture of designs including U shapes and dots.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/6452781293/in/set-72157608644175542 ; Another look at same.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/6177656057/in/set-72157608644175542 ; One covered with dots.

It is striking how much the African tribes use dots . These could be fore-runners of cupmarks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/4963729041/in/set-72157608644175542 ; A girl of the Surma tribe with an earring showing concentric circles.


I'd like to know where the idea of these lip plates came from and how the males can see them as being attractive!

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