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...
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