Lip Plating in Remote Tribal Villages

A few indigenous tribes in Africa still practice this form of body modification to this day. This practice is mainly practiced in central and southern part of Africa. This is also practiced in the Amazon rain forest. The lip plate is made out of wood or clay and is also known as a lip disc or a lip plug. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of women with these lip plates from as far back as 8700 BC. They have not found when this custom started or how it came into being.

A theory is that it originated as a deliberate disfigured design to make women and young girls less attractive to slave traders. Other theories are that bigger the lip plate, the more their importance or wealth in the tribe. Another theory is that it is simply an ornamentation meant to symbolize a woman's strength and self-esteem. The practice is also described as being a sign of social maturity and reaching reproductive age, this indicating a girl's eligibility to become a wife.

This practice was also a huge controversy in US and Europe during late 1800s and early 1900s. African women wearing large lip plates were brought to Europe and North America for circus exhibits as sideshow freaks.

In reality, most tribes consider this practice as a traditional sign of beauty. However, it's a different story for tribal men. In some tribes, young men traditionally have their lips pierced as a rite of passage to indicate status and prestige. The lip-plating ritual varies from tribe to tribe. The Mursi in Ethiopia adorn their lower lips; some tribes insert lip plates in their upper lips, while others insert in both.