For the Mursi, the lip plate is a visual expression of what it means to be a woman. This distinctive body ornament would have been worn by a woman in her lower lip as a symbol of female social adulthood .In Mursi culture, girls and young married women wear lip plates on a regular basis. Once a woman has children, they wear the adornment less - for instance, only during times when there are visitors or when they attend meetings.
Carved into a typical circular form, this Mursi woman's wooden lip plate exhibits a grooved edge in which the lip would have rested. Throughout, the adornment has a smooth, worn patina, with a slightly oily surface.
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid-20th Century
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