Labret
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.
Among the ancient Aztecs and Mayans labret piercing was reserved for male members of the higher castes.
Health Risks
The main health risk associated with labret piercings is gum erosion. The disc which sits against the gums rubs against them and can, over time, result in the thinning of the gums. The risk can be reduced by proper placement and proper jewlery. The disc should be very thin in width.
A less common name for the labret peircing is the "Mao." It is widely believed that this name originates from Mao Zedong's mole below his lower lip.
Anthropology
The labret was a traditional piercing among the American North-West Coast Indians, where it was related to status:
- LABRETS: these leave indelible tooth wear and are thus easily recognized skeletally, indicating attributes of the living individual rather than the postmortem treatment of that individual. Many are broken in grave contexts, perhaps ritually. Appear after 3,500 BP at Pender Island (Vancouver) and Blue Jackets Creek (Haida Gwaii). Appears that while both men and women could wear labrets at this time, only a restricted number of males and females had access to labrets. After 3,500 BP, a divergence in labret wear in S and N coasts. In the N from 1.500 - 3,000 BP, more labrets worn by males. After 1,500 BP, labrets worn by females. In the S, between 2,000 - 3,500 BP, worn by males and females, but from 2,000 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 NWC, 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. (From http://www.sfu.ca/~csmith/genstuff/academic/comps/ames.html with permission)
When a mask was being made to represent someone of high status, naturally enough, that mask had a labret.
Etymology
The word is from the Latin labrum, lip. It is not French, and should be pronounced "la-bret" not "la-bray."