Jemimah Chungu
African fashion is one of most distinctive and artful fashion in the world. The lip plate one of the most jaw dropping African fashion of all times is the lip plate jewelry accessory also known as the lip ring or lip disc. The accessory garbed on a cut in the lips made from wood or clay that has been around since the around 3000 BC. The lip plate jewelry has been made popular by East African women and girls of the Suri and Mursi tribes collectively known as the Surma ethnic group. The Surma ethnic group is also known to share a common culture. This accessory is also fashioned by other ethnicities in Sudan, Eritrea, Chad, Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique.
HOW THE LIP PLATE IS FASHIONED
In order to fashion it? The lip plate piercing/ hole is made depending on the wearers’ culture, Some wear it on the bottom lips some on the top lips. Two- four teeth are removed on the top or bottom jaw before the top or bottom lip (depending on the wearers’ culture) is cut to fit the lip plate.
The lip is stretched by a ceramic disc after the cut remains until the initial cut heals. It is replaced by larger discs repeatedly until the large ones enough to accommodate the first lip plate accessory which is about 3-4 cm and ones the hole heals, it can accommodate up to 25cm wide.
The Surma and Eritrea people wear it on the bottom lip whereas the Sara people of Sudan, native to Chad, the Lobi people of Chad native to Ghana and the Makonde people of Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique fashion the lip plate on the top lip.
WHY THE LIP PLATE IS FASHIONED
The lip plate is fashioned not just for beauty but also for symbolism and other important purposes. It is fashioned for events such as marriage ceremonies, milking cows, welcoming important visitors and other important events. It is also fashioned to boost self-esteem, for social status and hierarchy, and also as a fashion exhibition; the bigger the plate the more you are fashion oriented and/or highly regarded in the social hierarchy (just like any other fashion that goes ‘extra’).
The culture of this jewelry is especially important in marriages from preparation to marriage itself. The accessory is a symbol of reaching of age and ready for marriage. It also determine the bride price because it is associated to social hierarchy; women with large and/ or well-designed lip plates are charged for up to more than 50 cattle. The lip plate determines marital commitment and the value of the marriage. It is fashioned to accessorize looks and complement facial makeup to look good for the spouse. It can also be considered as simply as symbol of being a married woman as widowed women are not supposed to garb the lip plate because it is believed that their beauty has faded and the need to beauty for the spouse is no more.
The lip-plate is also simply used for identity as it is unique and fashioned by a known group of people. Over the years the lip plate has also turned to a tourist attraction as this mesmerizing fashion is exclusive to aforementioned ethnic groups and a few others in South America.
But, the lip plate is not worn all the time such as when eating, working, sleeping, lazy days and other unnecessary times.
#POV
Fashion is diverse and subjective. It is also knows no boundaries. This fashion was/ is not imposed on the wearers, they created it themselves hence it is not inhumane or abusive. The fact that it’s been in existence for centuries to today also implies that the wearers are comfortable with it and not otherwise.
Regardless, many people around the world and even within the continent have affronted this gorgeous artful unique fashion a lot of people have criticized it calling it inhumane, abusive and obnoxious. Others have even claimed the fashion of the lip plate was a tradition meant to make women ugly to scare away Arab merchants’ prolonged attacks in search for slaves in east Africa.
The purposes of the fashion are also of importance to the wearers. The girls and women are gladly design their lip plated too moreover it is not mandatory hence it is not abusive.
Others have questioned if the lip plate hurt or if they are uncomfortable. The answer is obvious that during the cutting of the lips the pain is felt just like any other cut hurts. Prolonged or wrong wearing of this accessory can also get uncomfortable. The lip plate jewelry is just like any other plugged in piercing accessory and it heals with time and gets used. It also quite similar with tattooing.
In the same sense, lip plated can be uncomfortable just like modern accessories such as danglings, hoops, earrings, studs and others if worn wrongly and for a prolonged time or other times like when sleeping but are is still the fashion of today.
The fashion is absolutely striking and has to be embraced just like other unique fashions as opposed to ugly critics.
https://at.tumblr.com/africaninternational-magazine/the-lip-plate-fashion/2u3bowhlkcsi
