I came across these amazing photos today:

After a little digging I found these are from a book called Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa by Hans Silvester. These are members of the Surma and Mursi tribes who live in the Omo Valley on the borders of Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan. Fifteen tribes, including the Hamer and Kurma tribes, live in this area but I’m unsure if they all partake in this ornamentation. The decorations seem to serve no ritualistic purpose and are purely for enjoyment.

It’s wonderful to see such spontaneous, natural (in all senses – apparently the designs are painted freeform, with no sign of pre-planning) and elegent designs. It’s kind of unifying to know that these tribes people have the same concerns about accessories as I do! Although I don’t think I could wear theirs – my hayfever redden eyes would probably spoil the look somewhat.

Unsurprisingly, I’m not the only person whose eye Mr Silvester’s images caught as the book has also been mentioned by the Mail and the Telegraph last week, worth a look as they have more of the pictures too.