A Mursi woman I photographed in Ethiopia

Image from preview.redd.it and submitted by jaymesucks
image showing A Mursi woman I photographed in Ethiopia

ptypitti on August 19th, 2023 at 15:05 UTC »

How do they eat

elzorrodorito on August 19th, 2023 at 15:29 UTC »

Have mursi

Infinity3101 on August 19th, 2023 at 16:12 UTC »

Ok, I just googled lip plates and most of the information I could find was about the process of putting it in and that it's customary in parts of Africa and South America. Also, that the women of Mursi tribe in Ethiopia used to start stretching their lips and putting plates in 6 months before their marriage, but it's not a custom anymore and only a few women do it. And that's about it.

But I've found nothing about the meaning behind these plates. Is it a religious custom of some sort? I know it probably has different meanings among different groups of people. But does anyone know any more about it? Also, some recommended reading on the topic (articles, books, documentaries) would be greatly appreciated.