[ex]

Sorry about this being off topic but this is an art forum after all and this had been a form of art for centuries so I wanted to bring it up.

I recently visited my local Rennascance Festival and there was a booth featuring Henna body art.

Supposibly it originated in India. The paint is completly organic and has been made for thousands of years with the same receipy. I don't remember exactly but it's from Henna plant leaves, lemon juice (?), and i forget the rest.

But, it was all very interestring. They gave me a book name to look up and an author. I wish i could have gotten some pictures to share with you all but i didnt have my camera. Sorry

But there are lots of site's on the internet with examples. I looked for a little but couldent find any really really good ones. I'm sure their out there though.

Anywho, Has anyone heard of this accent rutual?

(the "dye" goes over the skin and hardens, then soaks in and temporarily dys the skin with a redish tint giving a temporaraly tattoo. Well.. thats what the guy told me anyway)

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-- Sean FitzGerald (ex)

[Spitfire]

I've seen it quite a bunch of times. I liked the concept, but the ugly yellow/reddish color put me off.

[ex]

You can order it off the internet and get it color tinted.

[SaltyDog]

Yes, I've heard of it. It did originate in India and if I'm correct it was (and is) used primarily as a wedding ritual. Only the women have it done and it is done on hands, arms, feet and legs. I believe it's supposed to be a sort of visual aphrodisiac for the male on the wedding night, similar to the ritual scarring that some tribal women in Africa do.
I've seen some photos of traditional Henna and that stuff is Crazy Detail!! The symmetry these women pull off with archaic looking brushes is unreal!

[Violent1]

I have realtives in Tunisia that paint
themself on weddings with that stuff.
The color is really stupid crapy and
applying the henna is a proccedure
that takes houres but it lasts for
3-4 months.
I tryed out something else that calls
hindi i think it was. It's black.
it only stays black for a few days
before it beginns to vanisch.
But you can easilly apply it
with a paint brush.