Body art has always been popular culturally and artistically, and in recent years body art styles such as henna tattoo body painting has experienced an obvious revival. Henna is pain-free, fashionable, and is non permanent – it offers a fun tattoo alternative. According to historians, henna body art was brought to India in the 12th century by the Moguls who used to trade with the Ancient Indians. Henna, or Mehndi, is a body dye paste created by grinding the leaves and twigs of the Henna plant and hot water. Various herbs and dyes can be added to the paste to alter it slightly. You can find the henna plant, or hawsonia plant, in the Middle East and North Africa. The earliest documented use of henna body paint comes from Ancient Egypt where the bodies of Pharaohs were decorated with henna markings before mummification. Henna body art is traditionally used in the Indian culture in ceremonies related to marriage. In the Middle East it customary for Arabs not to present their hands for henna if they are lying about something, and like in India, it is usually body paint for brides.
In countries like Turkey, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia henna is a symbol of good luck. People in Morocco use henna body painting for many different things - pregnant women use henna designs on their ankles to protect them through childbirth; these designs remain family specific and are passed down through generations. African henna body art designs have a distinct geometrical element to them, and they are less decorative and ornate than the Indian mehndi henna body paint tattoos.
Japanese and Chinese henna symbols are growing in popularity in Western countries. Japanese symbols are some of the most popular designs requested for henna body painting. It is interesting to note that the history of henna body art stretches far and wide, and the techniques are continually infused into today’s fashion, art, and traditional spheres.
