Labret

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Labret
Nicknames Mao
Location Labrum (below bottom lip, above chin)
Healing Ranging from 3 - 6 weeks

A labret is one form of body piercing. Taken literally, it is any type of adornment that is attached to the lip (labrum). However, the term usually refers to a piercing that is below the bottom lip, above the chin. It is sometimes referred to as a "tongue pillar."

Pronunciation

The traditional pronunciation of labret in anthropology is /ˈleɪbrɨt/ LAY-brət. It derives from the Latin labrum "lip" and the diminutive suffix -et. However, many in the body-piercing industry give it the pseudo-French pronunciation /ləˈbreɪ/ lə-BRAY, though it is not a French word.[1]

Anthropology

Moche figurine depicting a woman with labret. Larco Museum Collection. Lima-Peru

The labret was a traditional piercing among the American Northwest Coast Indians, where it was related to status:

"access to labrets. After 3,000 BP, a divergence in labret wear in north and south coasts. In the north from 1500 - 3500 BP, more labrets worn by males. After 1500 BP, labrets worn by females. In the south, between 2000 - 3500 BP, worn by males and females, but from 2000 BP on, labrets generally disappear and are replaced by cranial deformation by free males and females of whatever class (e.g. elite or commoner). So, for 4,000 years on the northwest coast, it was important to distinguish certain individuals in a very direct manner; either by cranial deformation or by labret wear. Gender and geographical region may also be identified by these methods."[2]

When a mask was being made to represent someone of high status, that mask would likewise have a labret.

The wearing of labrets was widely observed among Tlingit women of high status at the time of European and American arrivals in Southeast Alaska. The Russian term for the Tlingit, Koloshi, derived from an Aluutiq word for labret.[3]

Types of labret piercings

Vertical labret
Snakebites

In contemporary styles, there are several different labret variations based on precisely where the piercing is positioned on the lower lip. These include a vertical labret (pierced with a curved barbell through the top of the lower lip rather than in front of the lip tissue), snake bites (dual piercings close together reminiscent of fangs), spiderbites (dual piercings very close together on the same side of the face), and a lowbret, which is placed as low as possible toward the chin.[4] The initial piercing is usually done at 1.2, 1.6 or 2.0 mm diameter. After initial healing, the piercing can be (gradually) further stretched. Some people chose to stretch to sizes over 10 mm, and the jewelry worn at these larger sizes is usually a round or oval 'labret plug'.

External links

See also

Media related to Labret at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. ↑ How do YOU Say L-a-b-r-e-t? (note: the etymology here is false.)
  2. ↑ Simon Fraser University
  3. ↑ Shelikhov, Gregorii Ivanovich and Richard A. Pierce. A Voyage to America 1783–1786. Kingston: Limestone Press, 1981.
  4. ↑ "Labret Piercing", LoveToKnow Tattoos
General piercing topics
Jewelry (materials)
Ear piercings
Facial and oral piercings
Body piercings
Unisex genital or anal piercings
Female genital piercings
Male genital piercings
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