Arts | A Habit of Henna
Since the Bronze Age , henna has been used to dye not only textiles but also skin and hair . The dark reddish brown stain that it leaves on the skin makes it perfect for body art , particularly as it is only semi-permanent , and it has been used as a cosmetic hair dye for the past 6,000 years . It is claimed that the ancient Egyptian queens Nefertiti and Cleopatra both used henna on their hair . More recently , the bohemian followers of the pre-Raphaelite movement considered red hair ( natural or otherwise ) to be the pinnacle of aesthetics . Across the Islamic world today , you may see men with their hair and beards died orange with henna : They are following the traditions of Prophet Mohammad . He also encouraged women to dye their nails with henna so that they could easily be distinguished from the hands of men .
In India , where henna ( known as mehndi ) is used not only to adorn the hands and feet of a bride but also , on occasion , her groom , the tradition dates back hundreds , if not thousands , of years . Typically from the Nai or barbering caste , mehndi artists prepare the henna by grinding the plant ’ s leaves and mixing them with a mildly acidic liquid such as lemon juice or essential oils . This makes the dye become darker and also last longer . They will then apply the paste to the skin using a plastic cone , brush , jacquard bottle ( similar to those used for silk painting ), or even their fingers . Once complete , the artist will wrap the design in tissue paper or plastic to protect it and also so that the body heat darkens
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◀ A Palestinian groom Zakariya Sada , wearing a suit covered with banknotes offered in wedding gifts , shows off the henna decorations on his hand during his marriage celebration in the northern West Bank village of Jatt
the colour of the dye . The mehndi design will be predominantly orange when it is first applied , but it will inevitably darken to a rich red brown over the following days . During this period , those wearing the mehndi should try to avoid washing with soap or chlorinated water , as this can distort the colour .
Every mehndi artist has his or her favoured designs , and the more skilled the artist , the more elaborate and delicately executed those designs will be . Many of the designs have symbolic meanings or religious connotations , and it is hoped they will bring the bride good fortune in her forthcoming marriage .
There are a vast number of simple patterns that can be executed either on their own or as part of larger designs . Some of their meanings are quite obvious , others more obscure . Buds , ripples of water and flowers , quite predictably , represent fertility and life . The same meaning is found in popular peacocks and paisley patterns ( which derived originally from the shape of a mango stone ). The chequer-board symbolises that
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▴ A henna party , preceding a wedding , unites close friends in Bahrain
▶ Near Abu Simbel , Egypt , a Nubian bride prepares for her wedding
▶ A bride performs a ritual during her wedding , pouring rice from a chalice with her henna-decorated foot
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