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Lesson Plans


Re: East Indian Henna-Hand Paintings

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
Karen Fish (kfish.hk)
Fri, 13 Mar 1998 11:26:22 +0000

Dear Eric the Art guy
Henna on the hands and feet is a traditional practise in India. It is
only for women and the designs are floral and geometric. It takes a
few hours for the paste to actually dye the skin and will last up to
a few weeks. I have usually seen it on the hands and feet of brides
and women attending weddings. I actually leave for India tonight with
22 of my students and while we are there we will have our hands
decorated by some talented village women during our stay in Samode.
I'll gather some more information for you and let you know after my
return.

Karen

> Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 10:03:04 -0600
> To: artsednet.edu
> From: uteche.us (Eric Utech)
> Subject: East Indian Henna-Hand Paintings

> Dear Artsedneters,
> Since I have a steady hand, I've been asked to assist a parent in
> creating henna-designs on students' hands for an Indian Culture
> celebration. Although I have extended family from India,I am not
> personally of Indian descent, and only somewhat informed about Indian
> culture. I won't be in charge of this project, only helping out my parent
> volunteer. But I feel like I need some kind of background or knowledge.
> Can any of you give me the slightest information about this tradition? I
> understand that henna is a natural product kind of like tea, and that it is
> used to decorate the skin, particularly for certain festivals or
> ceremonies. After that, I'm culturally in the dark, and I want to know
> more.
> --Eric the art guy
> Westbrook Elementary, Glenview, IL
>
>
>
>
Karen Fish
Fine Arts Dept.
Hong Kong International School