The Cultural Body

The Painted Body

89. Temporary henna tattoo on the body

Body-painting can be temporary or permanent. Pigments such as ochre (red or yellow iron ore) or henna are often applied to the body to commemorate specific occasions. In some cultures, temporary body decorations are applied to mark such celebrations as weddings, feasts, and religious festivals, or to signal events such as funerals or warfare. Cosmetics, the Western version of body paint, is used to enhance physical attractiveness, to give a more youthful (or older) appearance and hence, increase sexual appeal and self-esteem. Many contemporary women do not feel "dressed" unless they are wearing cosmetics.

Tattooing and scarification are permanent forms of body painting which may identify the wearer as a member of a specific culture, society, or institution. Tattooing and scarification, practiced around the world, serve similar functions. The indelible designs may symbolize marriage, passage rites, clan identity, or social status.

Body Paint
The use of color can enhance our appearance, especially by emphasizing facial features such as lips, cheeks, and eyes. Many cultures color the body in some way. Although the application of body paint may be prompted by different circumstances, the promotion of self-esteem remains the primary motive. For example, the strikingly decorated face of a man from New Guinea conveys a certain status within his society, while American women beautify themselves by applying a wide range of cosmetics.

For centuries, body paint has been derived from materials found naturally in the environment, such as plants, rocks, minerals, and even insects. Fashionable women of the Elizabethan era decorated their faces and bodies with red and white substances. Powdered borax created a pale white face, neck and shoulders, while red ochre produced rosy cheeks. Fashionable men have also worn cosmetics, and it is known that Napoleon paid great attention to his toilette. In the late nineteenth century, a book on male etiquette published in the United States advised the use of hair dye, paint, face powder and eye shadow. Today, certain cultures still make cosmetics from natural substances, while Western make-up is manufactured mainly from synthetic materials.