TODAY'S IMAGE: DECEMBER 22, 2011

MUCUBAL WOMAN HOLDING HER BABY, 

VIRIE AREA, ANGOLA

Mucubal especially women, are famous for the way they dress. The latter wear an original and unique headdress called the Ompota. It is made of a wicker framework, traditionally filled with a bunch of tied cow tails, decorated with buttons, shells, zippers and beads. But tradition is disappearing as some women use barbie dolls boxes to cram their ompota headdress.

Women whether they are married or not can wear jewels. Ornaments like iron anklets, called Othivela, and armlets, called Othingo, are worn by girls as well as adult women.

Mucubal women are also famous for the string they have around their breast, called oyonduthi, which is used as a bra. Women use to smoke tobacco (that they keep in a snuffbox called boceta) in pipes called opessi.

© Eric Lafforgue
www.ericlafforgue.com