8 traditional African visual markers of marital status before the advent of wedding rings

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Photo: PanArmenian

Lip Plate [Mursi Women of Ethiopia]

More often than not, the lip plate or wood disk size was a sign of social or economic importance. It is mostly worn by Ethiopian tribes and the Makonde of Tanzania and Mozambique. For the Mursi, women wear larger plates when they are married. Larger plates are inserted into the lips causing it to stretch wider – the larger the plate, the more she is worth before marriage.

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Mursi woman with large lip plate. | In the Mursi tribe of southern Ethiopia_Photo: Pinterest

Last Edited by:Ismail Akwei Updated: July 24, 2019

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