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There is this guy in Black Panther and probably more people like him with this weird looking mouth. Are they even human? Is the mouth naturally like this or has it been surgically altered to indicate the person's social position as a tribe leader?

I don't understand how this mouth allows for eating or any other activity usually associated with the mouth.

enter image description here

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  • 48
    As far as "are they human," this is a type of body modification that happens in real life.
    – Kitkat
    May 5, 2018 at 21:00
  • 15
    I'm surprised you've never seen this before irl
    – theonlygusti
    May 6, 2018 at 15:13
  • I believe this is the same guy who asks Killmonger "who are you?" in the throne room scene, so at the very least he can talk while wearing this
    – Kidburla
    May 9, 2018 at 18:01

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Are they even human? Is the mouth naturally like this or has it been surgically altered to indicate the person's social position as a tribe leader?

These body modifications are actual things in African (and other) culture called Lip Plates.

The lip plate, also known as a lip plug or lip disc, is a form of body modification. Increasingly large discs (usually circular, and made from clay or wood) are inserted into a pierced hole in either the upper or lower lip, or both, thereby stretching it.

Wikipedia

I don't understand how this mouth allows for eating or any other activity usually associated with the mouth.

They are removable

We don't know Wakanadan customs obviously but, in general real life, they're generally only worn for tourists & special occasions such as ceremonies.

Naturally, the stretched lip would make eating (and drinking) somewhat messy (one would imagine) but it doesn't make chewing impossible.

Nor, depending on the food do they have to be removed

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    Due do the fact that Wakanda is supposed to be much more advanced than the rest of the world, I thought they could highly genetically modified human and hence no longer human.
    – Paghillect
    May 6, 2018 at 20:37
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    @DarthPaghius The clothes and customs of Wakanda, as depicted in the movie, are specifically based on many different, real african cultures. I see no reason to assume the lip plates are any different (they are also mentioned in the link).
    – Arthur
    May 7, 2018 at 9:00

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