Turkana Lip Plug SB.1.78. Turkana. Kenya. No 63. XII.A.2. Original list: “Turkana. Lip plug. Beads, copper. Woman” Oblong-shaped labret in the shape of a curved tongue, made from several twisted copper wires, juxtaposed then cemented with a coating of unknown material (probable mixture of animal fat and d ‘clay). An iron plug in the upper part is used to insert the object into the lower lip. The jewel ends at the bottom with a short pendant with a red glass bead. Labrets of this type were worn by women and by men. “Physical gaps left by custom, such as those by the removal of the lower incisors, are filled by ornamentation. A copper wire lip plug is fitted through a hole pierced below the lip and held in place by a knob” (Fedders, Salvadori. 1977: 103). “(…) the atepis, an Egyptian looking coiled wire lip plug accented with a red bead” (Donovan. 2005: 102) Cf. Staff of Consolata Fathers. Turkana: 7 and 18. See “Turkana elder wearing (…) lip labret. Lodwar, Kenya, 1978” in Eugene C. Burt. Seattle Art Museum. 1985: 2 Category: Lip Plug Material: Copper alloy wires. Beads. Iron. glass. Location: Kenya Dimensions in Centimeters: Length: 7 Width: 2.5 Height: 2 Other dim .: Full code list: W: 2.5 H: 6