A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Maasai Ears

A few days ago I was talking about how I wanted to remove my anti-tragus; here’s a very nice photo of Rafiki’s big lobes with the anti-tragus removed.

Comments

24 responses to “Maasai Ears”

  1. Pauly Unstoppable Avatar

    i have to say i really really enjoy that look

    i dont like my ears without jewerly in mine though

    but that looks really cool

    i would want to be able to wear plugs if i felt like it, i wonder if thats possible with that

  2. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    amazing.

  3. hellonightmare Avatar

    that’s a good look =]

  4. Crucifiedangel Avatar

    i think it looks good, my only concern is with that much of your ear missing, wouldnt it have potential hearing loss?? ive heard of people with rather large conch peircings having some hearing loss because of it. although it could just be a rumor…

  5. jezebel Avatar

    I absolutely LOVE the way that looks!

  6. regionofasplash Avatar
    regionofasplash

    this is exactally what ive been looking into
    ive been interrested in this mod for some time now, i would like to be able to wear plugs also thought. we shall see

  7. Elaine Avatar

    Rafiki means ‘friend’ in Swahili. Yup.
    (though swahili is most maasai’s second language)

  8. penski Avatar

    Pointed ears too?

    Could one mirror it with the removal of the outer conch, leaving the inner conch?

    *n

  9. Vienna Avatar

    I love love love this!

  10. MaidenDisaster Avatar

    It’s definitely aesthetically beautiful. I wonder, can you control how the ear shapes itself after the removal? Does removing the antitragus and surrounding area compromise the structural integrity of the cartilege? Does it ever stand any risk of collapsing the ear?

  11. James Avatar
    James

    I def think you should do it shannon.

  12. heliophobe Avatar
    heliophobe

    I love the jewelry on those ears.

  13. Lane Jensen Avatar

    Maybe we should plan a trip to Africa so you could have your Anti-Tragus removed by a real Maasai Warrior?. Make a great story.

  14. instigator Avatar

    That’s so cool.

    I’m surprised more traditionally inspired jewelry has not been made here, actually.

  15. Avalon Avatar
    Avalon

    Awesome picture…

    I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,a nd then got interested in doing it again.
    There is a movie that came out called “End of the spear.” and the guy that killed the main character’s dad (it was based off of a true story) came to my church one day….well, I talked to him about tattoos, piercings and stretching ears. He told me how his tribe did it, and told me the ‘tip’ to getting them so big was parting out the cartilage. (he also told my husband he needed to stretch his ears big so he could shake his head and hear them flap. He’s a funny guy.)

    I need to look up on that, because
    I would LOVE to do that…

  16. kitchee Avatar
    kitchee

    Wow what a perfect profile he has. Gorgeous! I love the beadwork on his lobes.

  17. matte Avatar
    matte

    I’ve always loved the look of the beaded ears.

  18. Verena Avatar

    very nice…

    Hey Shannon i totally aprove!

    think of the giant jewlery you can use…maybe youll have to use oval ones to be confetarble 😀

  19. Nick Avatar

    That’s the traditional Maasai ear piercing technique… the antitragus and top of the earlobe are cut out, in a sort of football shape. The jewelry is very cool too… thinking about making a line of beaded lobe cuffs like that for my website…

  20. celeste Avatar

    wow! gorgeous

  21. wish_I_were_a_dragon... Avatar

    thats a really good look 🙂 never seen that before, I still have so much to learn =)

  22. Warren Avatar

    awesome! thanks for showing me the reference in which culture did this Shannon! 😀

  23. baatin_rule Avatar
    baatin_rule

    yeah, you see these all the time at home in kenya, and not just the maasai, but tons of other ethnic groups. my grandads lobes hung to hisneck w/o plugs in them!

  24. caitlin Avatar
    caitlin

    he’s got the best smile-esque thing i’ve ever seen in my life.

Latest Tattoo, Piercing, and Body Modification News

  • Skin and Strings: The Art of Human Puppetry
    One of the most powerful things about being at a convention like OSC is the sheer concentration of experience, creativity, and capability in one place. When you’re surrounded by people who not only understand the technical complexities of suspension but are excited by the challenge… Read more: Skin and Strings: The Art of Human Puppetry
  • Twelve Points to the Sky
    There’s a particular kind of magic that happens at your first big suspension gathering when you arrive with nerves, an open heart, and the quiet hope of flight. Guided by the encouragement of mentor Lynn Loheide and driven by the quiet confidence of belonging, Alex… Read more: Twelve Points to the Sky
  • Ontario SusCon 2025
    In March 2025, BME attended the Ontario Suspension Convention in Hamilton, hosted by the Kevin Donaghy and the Ontario Suspension Collective. We had the pleasure to take part and help document the event, but also run a booth to sell a bunch of old (but… Read more: Ontario SusCon 2025
  • Welcome Back to Body Modification Ezine
    Dear BME Community, We’ve been gone far too long, but BME is back to give people a voice, a space, a community. With time everything evolves, and BME may be different than you remember. Our goal is to stay true to Shannon and Rachel’s values… Read more: Welcome Back to Body Modification Ezine
  • BME Social Media
    Word of mouth has been our method of reuniting the community, and it has brought a substantial amount of us together. I am inspired by your loyalty and I want to remind more people of BME’s existence. In 2020 we gained control over @bmezine on… Read more: BME Social Media
  • BMEShop
    Despite the hurricanes in 2015 which destroyed almost all of what Rachel owned, she managed to save the original inventory from BME. We have relisted some of the stock on BMEShop.com with the hopes you may be interested.  Our first drop includes a selection of… Read more: BMEShop