There are people all over the world who have chosen to keep their traditional way of life rather than being seduced by technological advances. In Southern Ethiopia, some of these people can be found near Lake Turkana and the Lower Omo Valley.
The Mursi, Suri, and Mekan peoples are the three ethnic groups that comprise the Surma people. The cultures of the Suri and the Mursi are comparable. The size of their lip plate determines how beautiful they are as ladies.
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Lip plates typically measure between 4 and 25 centimeters and are made of clay or wood. Before the lower lip is trimmed to suit the lip plate, two or four teeth are removed to be placed on the lip. When a child reaches puberty, their mother typically does this lip plating procedure.
A ceramic disc is inserted after the cut to expand the lip; it stays in place until the initial cut has healed before being replaced with a second, somewhat bigger disc. Repeating the process makes the lip big enough to fit the first lip plate, which is about 4 cm long.
The lip plate is thought to increase one’s self-esteem in addition to decorating their skin with incisions and occasionally painted designs. Both parents respect the lip plate custom since it subtly conveys that his cows will grow when her father receives her dowry. A Suri or Mursi woman’s dowry often ranges between 40 cattle (for the little plate) and 60 cattle; therefore, any man who intends to marry one must be highly affluent (for the large plate).
Some girls enlarge their lip plate because they associate it with prominence and self-worth. They frequently get to create her lip plate, much to their delight.
Most of the time, women wear lip plates to make themselves look more attractive. As an illustration, consider when they want to serve their male counterpart’s lunch, as part of a beautification routine, or on special occasions.
However, the only rite their males must perform is body painting. The man has battled and slain enemies, and each scar on his body reveals that.
