The Irani henna trip........(long)

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Posted by Erfan on September 3, 2001 at 14:31:36:

Well..
I promised you to tell you EVERYTHING about henna in Iran.and there
is MUCH to tell!



Well,when I arrived,my feet were hennaed and I weared sandals...
This was a problem.
Because at the airport the islamic-police asked me what this was.
I told them that this was henna
THEN
Then about 20 Islamic-police women(all with chador of course)came
over to me and asked me how I did these patterns.I took out some
skatches and hennabooks and began to tell them about the henna-
history .that henna was really used in Iran and so on....then one of
them told me,that in Iran eldery women do henna theire toe- and
fingertips and that they would do this because allah likes this....
I started to laugh and explained them that henna is the
ONLY "cosmeticum" which is "ba mahram"(something simmilar then
islamic correct)during praying and "ashuras"(ashura are the days in
which we muslims do remind our prophet ali).
They all were VERY interested and wanted henna-the only problem was
that I´m over 15,so I´m not allowed to see gurls without the
chador.....
Then i told them that also my granny did henna and that she did learn
this artform to me and that maybe my granny could do the henna for
them.
So,the next day about 6 of this police-women came to my grannys
house,and at first my granny thought that they want to controll our
house or something..but when she found out that they did come there
because of henna she began to laugh and told me "erfan,you´re really
like a henna-prophet!I´mm telling you you will make henna modern
again!"




So my granny went to her room with this women and applied theire
hennas...(I did choose the designs)

They did pay me(cause my granny doesn´t do henna for buisness anymore)
and they left.


But I was really afraid to henna my hands,cause my granny told
me,that maybe they will think that my mehndis are tattoos.and if they
would think that I have tattoos, I would get a lot of probs.--cause
tattoos are not allowed in theran-just face tattoing is still
allowed.....
Then when I went to my father´s relatives and they saw my feet they
at first thought that my feet are tattooed but when I told them that
this was henna they ALL wanted some designs on theire
overarms..really funny I did a lot of henna in Iran but 90%
wanted "modern" or "marrakeshi" designs.cause these were new things
from other countries........and in Iran you´re cool and fashionable
if you have something from an another country............

Really pitty that henna is SO "unmodern" in Iran.
Also everybody wanted "black" henna...but I did show them all
pictures and the ppd rant and than they decided to get the "granny´s
unmodern henna"(In Iran some people did tell me that I´m a "dahadi"(a
curd>>>fars peolpe do see curds as silly and unmodern people)
But everytime they said this,I linked them to the hennasites of ccj
and the other wonderfull artists and they ALL wanted henna!!!!


It was really funny and pitty to see that the "americans" have to do
something before it is modern in Iran again!
I mean henna was part of the Irani comunities..but then the &%$"%
$§!/&)?=/(`=)/`()?/%§(§ shah came and TRADITIONAL henna is know
really forgotten and UNMODERN!!!!!
*uuuuuuurggggggg*

The only place wrere I saw "patterned" henna was in the southern
(*shomal*)of Iran and in Mashad.

In shomal old women did also henna theire lips and they also did have
facre tattoing.
I asked them about theire lip-henna cause the colour was a really
beautiful bright orange.
They explained to me,that this henna is applied 7 times and each time
it has to sit for seven hours.....
But later I also found out,that EVERY bodypart did take henna
fantastic in Iran because the weather was REALLY dry and so your lips
and other body parts did get dry VERY fast.
I also did draw theire face-tattoos....
And I also did show them my work.and they all wanted some traditional
hennadesigns.so I did some freehenna for them!
They were so happy that they did introduce me to theire face tattoer
(an old woman who did learn face-tattoing from her granny)
Of course also nasrin(the tattoer) wanted henna.
So she wanted to tattoo my face because I did henna her,but i did
tell her that europian comunities are much diffrend than Irani-
communities.
I really had a lot of fun there.....

And I learned much!



Then in mashad I did see SO many hennaed hands and feet.
But not fars people!
They were all arabs and marrakeschi women/and even men!/who weared
really beautiful designs which I had never seen in my lifetime!

I also talked to some arab hgenbnaartist trhere and I learned very
new and fascinating things about henna in Dubai,Saudi arabia and
libanon!


I also had the opurtunity to draw hennapatterns from ORIGINAL
manuscripts which were not for everyone.I mean I had soem family
members who did have friends,who did let me go to closed museums and
so on.
REALLY fascinating!


So all in one it was a fantastic trip,and I really have to tell you
all much,much more soon!
I promise!
If you have any questions feel free to mail me!
Erfan

 

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