
Among the indigenous people of Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific islands and parts of Africa, body painting with clay and other natural pigments existed in most. It still survives in this ancient form A semi-permanent form of body painting known as Mehndi, using dyes made of henna (hence also known rather erroneously as “henna tattoo”), was and is still practised in India and the Middle East, especially on brides. Since the late 1990s, Mehndi has become popular amongst young women in the Western world.

