Lip plate
· Ethiopia / South Sudan, Surma (Suri)
·
ID: 3051227
sold
EUR 600
Provenance
Erwin & Susanne Melchardt, Vienna, AustriaSize
M: 19 cm x 13,4 cm
M: 7.5 inch x 5.3 inch
Description
wood,
Lip plates among the Mursi and Suri tribes symbolize beauty, fertility, and social status. Larger plates can increase dowries, making them a sign of higher status. Traditionally, they were thought to deter slave traders.