| Lip plate | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mursi woman with lip plate (2014) | |
| Nicknames | Labret, lip plate, lip disc |
| Jewelry | Clay, wood or metal disc |
The lip plate, also known as a lip plug, lip disc, or mouth plate, is a form of body modification. Increasingly large discs (usually circular, and made from clay or wood) are inserted into a pierced hole in either the upper or lower lip, or both, thereby stretching it. The term labret denotes all kinds of pierced-lip ornaments, including plates and plugs.
Archaeological evidence indicates that disk and plate labrets have been invented multiple times including in Africa (Sudan and Ethiopia; 5500–6000 BC)[1] Mesoamerica (1500 BC),[1] and coastal Ecuador (500 BC).[1][2]
- ^ a b c Keddie, Grant (August 1989). "Symbolism and Context: The world history of the labret and cultural diffusion on the Pacific Rim" (PDF). Seattle: Circum-Pacific Prehistory Conference. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
- ^ Frayer, David; Nava, Alessia; Tartaglia, Gianna; Vidale, Massimo; Coppa, Alfredo; Bondioli, Luca (30 June 2020). "Evidence for labret use in prehistory". Bulletin of the International Association for Paleodontology. 14 (1): 1–23. ISSN 1846-6273.