Mursi Labret And Field Photography By Jean-pierre Dutilleux

Documented ethnographic set – Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Jean-Pierre Dutilleux Collection

DESCRIPTION

A rare ethnographic set combining a large Mursi female labret made of terracotta and an original, signed, and numbered photograph by Jean-Pierre Dutilleux depicting a young Mursi woman wearing a traditional lip plate in her everyday environment.

The lip plate, made of modeled and fired terracotta, features a slightly irregular circular shape as well as a particularly elaborate geometric design composed of broad arched motifs connected by a network of segmented incisions. This elaborate ornamentation remains rare among the examples preserved in ethnographic collections.

The surface retains an ancient patina of use with brown and blackish hues. The irregularities of the outline, the signs of wear, and the chromatic variations attest to actual use within Mursi society.

Worn in the lower lip by young women of the Omo Valley, large lip plates are one of East Africa’s most famous symbols of identity.

The collection takes on a special significance thanks to the inclusion of field photographs taken by Jean-Pierre Dutilleux. It shows a young Mursi woman wearing her lip plate in an authentic setting of daily life, thus offering a direct perspective on the use of these objects at the time of their collection.

This combination of the ethnographic object and its visual context constitutes a rare testimony, transforming the piece into a genuine field document as much as a collector’s item.

PROVENANCE

Jean-Pierre Dutilleux Collection

Collected during ethnographic expeditions in the Omo Valley.

EXHIBITION

The First World

Presented as part of the exhibition dedicated to the collections assembled by Jean-Pierre Dutilleux.

INTEREST

Mursi lip plates are among the most iconic objects in African ethnography. Documented examples, with a solid provenance and an identifiable field history, remain rare on the market.

The inclusion of an original photograph signed and numbered by Jean-Pierre Dutilleux depicting the traditional use of this type of object significantly enhances the historical, documentary, and museum value of the set.

This is less a simple ethnographic object than a genuine visual and material testimony to the encounters Jean-Pierre Dutilleux had with the peoples of the Omo Valley over the course of several decades.

Set sold including:
- the antique Mursi terracotta labret;
- the original photograph signed and numbered by Jean-Pierre Dutilleux;
- the display frame for the photograph.