The gate of Mursi, Omo valley,Ethiopia. Portrait photograph by sarah wouters, finalist in the Shoot The Frame Portrait photography award, September 2021

Finalist Portrait · September 2021

The gate of Mursi

A portrait of Mursi tribe women of Ethiopia,When a young Mursi girl reaches the age of 15 or 16, her lower lip is pierced so she can wear a lip plate. The larger the lip plate she can tolerate, the more cattle her bride price will bring for her father. The unique “ornament” of the face which they use, is absolutely unusual, The matter is that the lower lip of this tribe’s girls is cut in an early age. They begin to put into the lip the billets of wood, every time with lip plate bigger and bigger diameter.