henna gallery

hands, hands and more hands
Traditionally henna is used on the hands and the feet; this tradition probably developed when it was discovered the the color takes best and lasts longer on the thick skin of the feet and hands. In addition, in many of the countries where henna is used women often dress in clothes that show little more than their faces, hands and feet, and so, much effort is put into adorning these parts. The dark rich color that shows up on hands and feet as well as the way designs can be made to fit and enhance the extremities make these designs a joy to execute. Elaborate or simple, designs on the hands and feet call attention to one's gestures and movements and permeate one's being with an exotic sophistication.








	*
My henna assistant finally gets married (to a Moroccan no less!) and I get to do her henna

"ta'aboud" arabic for "love of god"






Moroccan bridal henna in the style of Fez



	Indian Bridal Henna
Aicha	Aicha
Mina	Myriem
Fatiha	Fatiha
Hajiba	Hajiba
Myriem	Fatma-Zohra
Fatma-Zohra	These pictures are of henna I did on various women in my husband's family during my last visit to Morocco (February 2001). I went to research Moroccan henna designs and the women all wanted what was exotic to them: Indian henna designs! Some of them did allow me do some Moroccan designs.




(photo by Constance Lehmann)	**

(All henna designs and photos are original work by Lisa Butterworth, unless otherwise specified)

** My thanks to Loretta Roome, whose book provided the design on which this was based