Labret
Encyclopedia
A labret is one form of body piercing
. Taken literally, it is any type of adornment that is attached to the facial 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."
Among the ancient Aztec
s and Mayans, labret piercing was reserved for male members of the higher castes.
suffix -et. However, many in the body-piercing industry incorrectly give it the "French" pronunciation /ləˈbreɪ/ lə-, though it is not a French word.
When a mask was being made to represent someone of high status, naturally enough, that mask had a labret.
The initial piercing is usually done at 1.2 , 1.6 or 2.0 mm diameter. After initial healing, the piercing can then be (gradually) further stretched. Some people chose to stretch to sizes over 10 mm, and the jewelry worn at these larger sizes is then usually a round or oval 'labret plug'.
Body piercing
Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice...
. Taken literally, it is any type of adornment that is attached to the facial 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."
Among the ancient Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
s and Mayans, labret piercing was reserved for male members of the higher castes.
Pronunciation
The traditional pronunciation of labret in anthropology is ˈleɪbrɨt . It derives from the Latin labrum "lip" and the diminutiveDiminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
suffix -et. However, many in the body-piercing industry incorrectly give it the "French" pronunciation /ləˈbreɪ/ lə-, though it is not a French word.
Anthropology
The labret was a traditional piercing among the American Northwest Coast Indians, where it was related to status:- access to labrets. After 3,000 BPBefore PresentBefore Present years is a time scale used in archaeology, geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events in the past occurred. Because the "present" time changes, standard practice is to use AD 1950 as the origin of the age scale, reflecting the fact that radiocarbon...
, 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 deformationArtificial cranial deformationArtificial cranial deformation, head flattening, or head binding is a form of permanent body alteration in which the skull of a human being is intentionally deformed. It is done by distorting the normal growth of a child's skull by applying force...
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.
When a mask was being made to represent someone of high status, naturally enough, that mask had a labret.
Types of labret piercings
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.The initial piercing is usually done at 1.2 , 1.6 or 2.0 mm diameter. After initial healing, the piercing can then be (gradually) further stretched. Some people chose to stretch to sizes over 10 mm, and the jewelry worn at these larger sizes is then usually a round or oval 'labret plug'.