Ethiopian Lip Plates in Mursi Culture
The Mursi women take facial decoration to striking levels with their clay or wooden lip plates. Young girls pierce their lower lips before puberty, slowly stretching them to hold discs up to 12 inches wide. A larger plate carries social weight. It often determines a bride’s value in cattle during marriage negotiations. This tradition serves as both a beauty marker and a practical measure of social standing. The community’s skilled craftsmen create these specialized plates.
