In Africa, there is a tribe where all the men bear scars on their bodies and have colorful patterns painted on their skin. However, the women here are even more astonishing, as they wear enormous round plates on their lips, making it look like their lips are about to burst.
Some of these women not only have a large plate on their lips but also wear similar plates on both ears, a sight that shocks many modern visitors.
After learning more, it was discovered that these women begin this ritual around the age of 10. In this tribe, the size of the plate on a woman’s lip signifies her social status— the bigger the plate, the higher her status. But what exactly is the process behind this? 
The Process of Lip Plate Formation
These women belong to the fascinating Mursi people, a tribe living in the southern part of Ethiopia. Their women are known for wearing large, heavy-looking round plates on their lips, which has attracted many people from around the world to come and observe this unique custom.
When outsiders first arrive, the tribe is very cautious and tends to retreat. Once they realize the visitors mean no harm, they slowly lower their guard and may even allow photos to be taken. However, some women even ask for a tip if they are photographed, which can be quite amusing.
The plates grow larger as time passes, and this is a status symbol. The larger the plate, the higher the woman’s status within the tribe. This community of about 5,000 people still largely follows a hunter-gatherer and pastoral lifestyle. In fact, they still engage in barter trade, which is quite primitive by modern standards.
The Start of a Woman’s Journey: Lip Cutting
From the age of 10, these girls are subjected to this painful ritual by older female relatives. They start by prying open the girl’s lower lip using a needle or a wooden stick and separating it from the gum. Since there is no anesthesia in this primitive tribe, the pain is excruciating for the young girls.
At first, the cut is small and cannot accommodate the lip plate. The elders then insert a wooden stick into the wound to prevent it from healing, allowing the lips to stretch. After a period of time, the wound becomes larger, and they can start inserting smaller plates. Eventually, as the lips get used to the pressure, the women can wear larger plates.
The largest plates can have a diameter of up to 25 cm (about 10 inches). In some cases, women even pull out their teeth to fit a larger plate in their mouths.
The Heartbreaking Reason Behind the Lip Plates
Why would women endure such pain and disfigurement? The answer lies in the tribe’s concept of beauty. They believe that the larger the lip plate, the higher the woman’s value, both socially and financially. Women without lip plates are seen as undesirable and are unlikely to marry. In contrast, those with larger plates receive higher bridal prices in the form of cattle, which are the tribe’s most valuable commodity.
For example, the woman with the largest lip plate could receive a dowry of 50 cows. Some women even decorate their lip plates with patterns, making them appear more unique and attractive.
In 1970, British anthropologist Neil L. Whitehead introduced the world to this tribe, and since then, an increasing number of people have visited the region. The women, recognizing the business potential, began charging a fee for photographs, capitalizing on the tourists’ curiosity.
The Cultural Roots of the Lip Plate Tradition
While the practice of wearing lip plates may seem strange to outsiders, it originally served a practical purpose. In ancient times, when the Mursi people were frequently attacked by neighboring tribes, they began to look for ways to protect their women and children. The idea was that if the women were made to look unattractive with their distorted lip plates, other tribesmen would be less likely to take them as captives.
This practice of disfigurement aimed to prevent the loss of women and children, and gradually, the lip plate tradition became entrenched within the culture. While the custom is an example of a society trying to protect its own, it also reflects the harshness of their treatment of women, akin to the ancient practice of foot binding in China, though some would argue it is more extreme.
Changing Attitudes
Today, more and more women from the tribe are rejecting this ancient tradition, showing a shift in attitudes and a sign of progress. Still, the majority of women continue to wear these lip plates, symbolizing the persistence of tradition.
Although the lip plate custom may seem shocking to many, it remains one of the most mysterious and intriguing practices in the world. Visitors continue to flock to the region, drawn by the uniqueness of this tribe and their extraordinary cultural heritage.
