Henna Around the World A journey exploring the popularity of henna from the past to now The Underground Press MEGAN SNYDER Your Journey Begins Here... Chapter 1: The Origins of Henna /// 8 The Geographic Time-line of Henna /// 10 The Henna Plant /// 12 Chapter 2: Preparation, Care, and Materials /// 16 The Four Basic Ingredients /// 18 All rights reserved. No part of this book, in whole or The Ultimate Henna Recipe /// 26 in part, may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission of the copyright holder. How to Apply Your Henna /// 38 How to Take Care of your Henna Tattoo /// 44 All photographs, illustrations, artworks, and henna designs created and fabricated by the author Megan Marie Snyder. Chapter 3: Henna Practices in Egypt and Africa /// 50 Unless otherwise noted in the ‘Photograph and Artwork Characteristics of African and Egyptian Henna Designs /// 58 Credit’ section in this book. African and Egyptian Henna Patterns /// 64 ISBN 666-6-5301333-1-1 Chapter 4: Henna Culture in Islam /// 70 Printed in the United States of America Characteristics of Arabic and Islamic Henna Designs /// 82 The Underground Press Arabic and Islamic Henna Patterns /// 88 34311 Brownell Ln Round Hill, VA 20141 USA Chapter 5: Henna in India /// 94 www.theundergroundpress.com Characteristics of Indian Henna Designs /// 108 www.hennaaroundtheworld.com Indian Henna Patterns /// 114 1-800-666-1111 Chapter 6: Contemporary Henna in the West /// 120 Characteristics of Contemporary Henna Designs /// 136 Contemporary Henna Patterns /// 144 Bibliography /// 152 Megan Snyder G R A P H IC D E S IGN Artworks and Photography Credits/// 154 CHAPTER 1 The Origins of Henna 8 /// HENNA AROUND THE WORLD The Origins of Henna Areas in the Middle East such as Egypt, Islam, and 1400 BC – 700 CE India has used henna for cultural practices since Syria 6000 BC, and is considered the oldest cosmetic 500 BC – 700 CE 1 used in history. Now people can find henna Arabia products all over the world in stores, on-line, India international markets, beach boardwalks, tourist Carthaginian Empire destinations and local farmers markets. This ulti- Roman Empire mately signifies that henna is popular on a world- 700 CE -1250 CE wide scale. The time-line is as following: Islamic Empire-Northern Africa, 6000-3000 BC Persia, Iberia Peninsula Catahoyok India Jericho Early 20th Century Cycladic Islands The Geographic Time-line Northern Africa 3000-14000 BC Middle East of Henna Minoan Islands Malaysia and Fiji Ugarit and Canaan Thailand 3000 BCE -700 CE Brazil Egypt 2000-Now 1400-500 BC Henna is now found in the major Israel urban centers all around the world. Canaan Including North America, Europe, Mycene Australia, South and Central America, Etruscan and Carthaginian Empires and the Asia Continent Assyria 10 /// HENNA AROUND THE WORLD 11 The Origins of Henna Lawsonia Inermis is a flowering shrub and the Cultivating the henna plant is a complicated only species of the Lawsonia genus. The plant process because the weather and location of classification is as follows: where the henna plant is grown influences the outcome of the color and quality of the Lawsonia Inermis henna powder. In terms of location, the henna Kingdom: Plantae plant thrives best and grows wildly in semi-arid (Unranked): Angiosperms places and in tropical settings such as northern (Unranked): Eudicots Africa, western and southern Asia, and northern (Unranked): Rosids Australia. However, for commercial production, Order: Myrtales India grows the most henna. Dr. James A. Duke says, “It is mainly cultivated in Punjab and Gujarat, Family: Lythraceae which together account for about 87 % of the Genus: Lawsonia total production of henna leaves.”5 Other popular According to plant expert Azhar Ali Farooqi, regions where henna is harvested and grown The Henna Plant the main dyeing agent in the henna plant is called for commercial use is in countries like Pakistan, ‘Lawsone.’2 The higher the lawsone content in Sudan, Egypt, and the Rajasthan area in India.6 the henna plant, the higher quality of dye the These countries and regions represent some henna plant will produce. Economic botanist Dr. of the warmest and semi-arid places on the James A. Duke notes that during the late spring earth, so the commercial henna products that are and early summer in April and May—when the produced there, often provide the highest quality temperatures peak at the highest— the shrub is dyeing and staining properties. For example, the harvested and milled into a powder for cosmetic henna plant produces the most dye when grown and medical purposes. 3 The powder is then used in temperatures between 35 and 45 °C.7 Because as a cosmetic to dye skin, hair and fingernails, temperature and location plays a critical role as well as textiles such as silk, wool, cotton, and in the dyeing features of the henna plant, henna leather.4 Elsewhere the flower is turned into oil artist are often looking at weather patterns, to and perfume for consumer use. try to assess the quality of annual henna crops. 12 /// HENNA AROUND THE WORLD 13 The Origins of Henna Therefore, if you are an aspiring henna artist, it is each other on the stem, with the average length crucial to be up to date on the weather patterns of 1 – 3 cm. In terms of shape, the leaves are in Asia. According to the article, ‘Why India may oval but taper off to a long point.9 The leaves be the World’s Hottest Region at the Moment,’ have been used throughout history in Indian and during the month of April “Temperatures over Arabic medicine in which people have incorpo- 40 °C were recorded in most parts of Rajasthan, rated henna leaves in folk medicine to alleviate Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Vidarbha and headaches, hemorrhage, leucorrhea, menorrhagia, Marathwada. There were also severe heat wave spermatorrhea, and typhoid. There has also been conditions in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal instances where people consume the leaves as a Pradesh, Punjab and north Rajasthan.”8 This is antiperspirant and sedative.10 good news for henna artists around the world, The henna flower has four sepals and a 2 because the 2017 henna crop was growing during mm (0.079 in) calyx tube, with 3 mm (0.12 in) a record-breaking heat wave. spread lobes. Its petals are obviate, with white After the hot, dry, and humid season, the or rose-colored stamens found in pairs on the monsoon period starts, which makes the plant rim of the calyx tube. The ovary is four-celled, grow rapidly. But during the winter and fall 5 mm (0.20 in) long, and erect. The flowers are seasons, growth slows down and comes to a so robustly fragrant that, the flowers are used stop. The leaves gradually yellow and fall during to create an oil, and then the oil is incorporated prolonged dry or cool intervals, and the plant into perfumes.11 These perfumes are consumed does not thrive where minimum temperatures and most popular in the Middle East. Henna fruit are below 11 °C (52 °F). Moreover, temperatures are small, brownish capsules, 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 below 5 °C (41 °F) will kill the henna plant. in.) in diameter, with 32–49 seeds per fruit, and Plant Description and Medical Uses open irregularly into four splits. Additionally, it is The henna plant has many natural uses,—including Environmentalist Dr. V.K. Sharma describes the noted that the fruit helps heal medical problems of the liver and diaphragm.12 uses like dyes and medical henna plant as a shrub that measures about 2- 3 purposes— which people meters in height. The leaves grow opposite of and societies have been using since 6000 BC. 14 /// HENNA AROUND THE WORLD 15 CHAPTER 2 Preparation, Care, and Materials 16 /// HENNA AROUND THE WORLD Preparation, Care, and Materials All henna paste mixes contain the four basic clog, while working with a client often leads ingredients: to frustration and designs that are clunky and An acid base amateur looking. Always use BAQ henna powder, if you want outstanding results. Fresh Body Art Quality henna Because sourcing fresh henna powder is Something sweet difficult, I would suggest websites like ‘www. Essential oils. hennacarravan.com,’ with headquarters in In order to create the highest quality henna California, and ‘www.hennasooq.com,’ which has paste for professional use, it is best to have an its head office in Maryland. These websites have explanation as to why you need to add these the highest quality products for professional particular ingredients, so let us start here with use. However, the best henna powder comes the four basic ingredients: from a brand called Jamila. The Jamila brand is a professional grade henna powder that is annu- High Quality Henna Powder The Four Basic Ingredients You must purchase fresh high-quality henna powder for superlative results. Henna that is suited for body art and hair dyeing purposes is always denoted with the letters BAQ or other- wise known as Body Art Quality. When the henna is not BAQ quality, the powder is often chunky, and full of organic debris, which means that the powder will need to be sifted multiple times with cheesecloth or another device to make the henna paste soft and smooth. However, sifting the henna does not always work, and sometimes The Jamila Brand is the best henna powder you can buy. makes the henna paste clog the cone or bottle The box is always stamped on the bottom with a date that you are using. Having your bottle or cone and the letters BAQ. 18 /// HENNA AROUND THE WORLD 19 Preparation, Care, and Materials I bought the below henna powders and products from the local Indian grocery store pictured on the left.