*Ani, Kelechi Johnmary and **Anyaoha, Nkechinyere J. (2012) Female Body Decorations: A Study on Uli and Henna Adornments in S. E. Ododo (Ed.) Fireworks for a Lighting Aesthetician: Essay and Tributes in Honour of Duro Oni @ 60, Lagos: Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization, pp. 565572 Abstract The Uli and the Henna are flowering plants used since antiquity to decorate different parts of human body. They are of different colours and are used in the act of tattooing the body. This work traces the historical origin of the Uli and the Henna. It showed that they were widely used by women to promote their image in different historical epochs. Ironically, while there has been the resurgence in the use of henna in the post-independence era, in Northern Nigeria and all parts of the globe on one hand, the use of Uli to promote female adornment has virtually disappeared in Igbo land, in the post colonial era, due to the imperial influence of colonial body decoration culture as well as the push and pull effect from other forces of globalization in the cultural dynamism of the Igbo society. The work presented a number of pictorial examples of both the Uli and Henna forms of body adornments. It showed the foundation and value of both forms of decorations. Introduction It is after all common to the human race and to women especially to attempt to enhance natural beauty by some form of decoration. Amongst many people, this is confined to costume or hairstyle or to paint such prominent parts as the face or fingernails, but the African man carries the art considerably further. Living in a hot climate, he has more exposed parts of his body to decorate, and he does this with the thoroughness with which he would decorate a calabash or any other vessel (Trowel 145). Randall and Polhemus wrote that human beings are the only known species that deliberately alters their appearance through the customization of their body. They alter their appearance through what they wear, adorn, tattoo, plastic surgery, body building etc. Human civilization in every part of the globe has revealed that women are continuously improving their aesthetic consciousness. Ball revealed that the practice of tattooing is one of the oldest art forms discovered by archaeologists. The oldest evidence of tattooing entered the archaeological record only a few years ago, when the complete body of an Iceman was found frozen in a glacier in the Alps, some 5,000 years old. In the ideas of Randall and Polhemus, this ancient hunter’s body was adorned with 15 tattoos. Man engages in all forms of aesthetic adornments that would enhance their appearance. From the Jews to Arabs and the Latin Americans as well as other parts of the globe, the engagement in body painting has advanced that it is easy to behold men of different age-bracket that have tattooed or designed their body in one way or the order. The African societal history over the ages has been characterized by women’s act of designing one object or another in order to enhance their beauty and physical image. Cristina has shown that the act of intricate body design was used to exhibit African design in Egypt (18). Negri showed that ladies painted meaningful patterns in the form of free hand designs all over history (14). Traditionally, body design was fundamental in the fashion culture of the Nigerian woman, which made the act to be part of her cultural heritage. From pre-colonial times till date, it is widely used by the female folk in different ethnic groups that cut across the Nigerian nation. The Uli body designed is popular amongst the Igbo people in the South Eastern part of Nigeria, while the Henna is widely used amongst the Shuwa Arab, Kanuri and Hausa people of Northern Nigeria. Basden pointed-out that Uli body design was an aspect of Igbo woman’s body adornment, unlike the henna that was introduced into Northern parts of Nigeria by the wives of Arabic merchants and Islamic scholars in pre-colonial times. However, the rise of colonialism brought the domineering Western perception of female body aesthetics into the country. This led to the dwindling nature of the use of traditional female body decorations in Igbo land. Globalization has impacted in opposite way on both the Uli and henna body adornments. The powerful wave of global cultural imperialism promoted by the multi-media networks has destroyed the culture of Uli adornment. Among some ethnic groups in Nigeria, like the Igbo people, traditional body decoration is fast disappearing; but amongst the Kanuri and Shuwa Arab people found in Northern Nigeria, it is experiencing resurgence and its use could easily be observed in all knocks and crannies of the society. This work is therefore centred on a comparative study on Uli and Henna body designs. The Uli could be linguistically traced to the Igbo word, Uli. When the Igbo man says that O na-ede Uli na-aka, it means that he or she is a good painter, writer or designer. Udechukwu showed that Uli proper is drawing on the human body with indigo pigment” (8). Both the Uli and Henna represents a tree or shrub that grows in different parts of the globe. The people widely planted the tree from which they grew the leaves for the body adornment. It is worthy of note that Uli here is different from the Uli musical instrument which is widely used amongst the Hawaiian people. Henna is derived from an Arabic word. Murja wrote that henna (Nalle in Kanuri) is a Persian name given to a small shrub (lowsonia-inermes) that is widely found in Asia, Australia and along the African coast of the Mediterranean, where it is frequently cultivated (5). Basden has shown just like the henna has multiple names across the globe, the Uli “possess merit and were known by specific names in the different localities” (330). The Uli is central in the Igbo aesthetics, “which provides sources from which Igbo artists such as body and wall decorators derived their design motifs which when properly drawn and painted are praised as manifest aesthetics and once used on the body as decorations and skilfully drawn, they elicit positive aesthetic response” (Aniakor 5). Thornton wrote that Henna body designs were widely used in many parts of Northern Nigeria during the colonial era. Today, different species of these shrubs are found in West India, Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirate, Yemen, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan and Nigeria. Again, while the domestication of the shrub is growing in Rimangado and Doreye of Kano State and other parts of Northern Nigeria, it is gradually going extinct in the ecosystem of the Igbo society. While Negri stated that Uli body painting was “the loveliest of the body painting arts”, one can simply argue today that the henna is the most widely used body adornment design in Nigeria (14). Foundations of Uli and Henna Motifs The natural environment of man is the basic source of motifs used in both the Uli and the Henna adornments. The body decorations often connote or represent one natural thing or event. Nwankwo gave the typology of Uli motifs to include: types derived from water (like fish motifs), types derived from firmaments (like moon motifs), types derived from vegetable materials (like spirals and lines from plant tendrils), types derived from techniques of execution and compositional layout (like shape and style-based motifs like concentric lines) types derived from bush animals (like scorpion and python-shaped motifs) and types derived from geometric shapes (like rectangular and triangular-shaped motifs) (29-30). The henna motifs as it is found in global discourse today cover the above typology and include a complex multi- dimensional motif, especially amongst the Indians and the Arabs. While traditional artists have tried to conceptualize motifs in line with the geo-cultural environment, the influence of hi-tech multimedia systems have carried the wave of the globalization of motifs, that there is increasing integration and adaptation of motifs from different regions of the globe by Uli and henna artists, while giving them the cultural trait of the artist’s aesthetic environment. It becomes imperative to state that the Uli and Henna motifs are inexhaustible. Both the Uli and Henna artists paints prominent parts of the body like the face, the chest (breasts), the belly, the hands, the legs, and broader parts of the face, neck, buttocks and the thighs. The body decorator(s), both in the Uli and Henna adornments tries to arrange his or her drawings in a dynamic, rhythmical and impressive pattern, while considering the body structure of the person they are decorating. Enekebe noted that the adornment “found suitable on the body of a plumpy person by the decorator may not be equally suitable on a slim-individual (25). In order words, the body decorator must consider the body surface of the client”. The Uli and Henna adornments: Are drawn from the vegetal environment, largely though from plant and animal life and in some cases extended to include the firmaments with its symbols of the crescent moon. There are plant tendrils (because of their delicate form), the partridge (for its dotted spots… etc (Aniakor 5). Nevertheless, there are some decorations that differentiate the Uli body decorations from the henna. The Oji-Ugo (Eagle’s kola) adornment was often adorned on very beautiful ladies and ladies from high-social class to identify them as unique ladies and women in the larger Igbo society. Again, the Eke (python) and the Mmuo (masquerade) adornment are found amongst priestess and traditional medicine men. However, the Ije Agwo (snake movement) adornment brings to the fore-front the link between body painting and door/ pottery decoration of the historic Nri culture. Selected Examples of Uli Body Motifs Selected Examples of Henna Body Motifs Conceptual Account of Body Adornment Value Myers has shown that the process of adornment often involves not only time and energy but also pain and discomfort. But notwithstanding the pains, discomfort, cost and energy wasted in the body decoration process, people still engaged in it for many reasons. Finkelstein; Villiquette, Murray, and Creyer showed that it is engaged by many people who perceive it as a vehicle for self-expression. Those who engaged in permanent form of Uli body decoration, like the Eke (python) and Mmuo (masquerade) by the traditional medicine men and priestess; uses it more for group membership, social status and personal identity. The choice of a particular form of henna adornment represents status and marital accomplishments in Kanuri, Shuwa Arab, North Africa, Middle East, India etc for over 5,000 years. Thornton argued that they use the henna as a wonderful art for marking celebrations. Henna decoration is not specific to a particular tribe or ethnicity as the Uli is to the Igbo people. Both the Uli and the henna are not equally inclined to people of a particular religion. Christians, Muslims and the adherent of African Traditional Religion adorns their body with one form of Uli or Henna decorations. They are used for both traditional and contemporary events in different forms. However, using Thornton’s idea, it is noteworthy that “in certain cultures, the application of henna is thought to bring a bride- luck, passion, fertility and prosperity in her new marriage. It is quite common to see brides, who incorporate jewels and glitters into their henna designs”. The pre-wedding decoration using Uli and henna is popular amongst the Igbo on one hand, and the Kanuri as well as the Shuwa Arab people on the other hand. The days before and after the wedding decorations of of a all bride, parts records of the extra-ordinary bride’s body forms for of greater attractiveness to the groom. Intricate decorations that look very beautiful are often chosen by the decorators for the bride. The time of pre-wedding decorations allows the bride to relax after a long time of pre-wedding stress anxieties. When the decoration is going on, she would be enjoying a wonderful time with her friends, relatives and well wishers that are often invited to partake in the process. Nevertheless, the henna and traditional Uli pre-wedding decoration is often a private affair carried out by close relatives or friends. It creates a lovely ambience for the marriage ceremony. Experts in body adornments create and recreate beautiful body tattoos that would project spectacular and breathtaking aesthetic value on the bride. However, many of the young girls who engage in these henna body decorations often goes into the act as a means to boast their dressing culture, body shape, value system, and interest. Undoubtedly, Blumer and Goffman have shown that body adornment has become a way for human beings to present their desired self-image to others Hence, one could easily state unequivocally that ladies use the Uli and Henna body decorations, symbols, motifs etc as a non-verbal means of communicating, constructing, revising, generating and maintaining symbolic and connotative messages that are vital for their self-identity. The importance of body adornment cannot be neglected in human history. Over the years, man decorates themselves to appeal to the aesthetic need of human race. It is noteworthy that in every society across the globe, body adornment is often used to achieve different objectives. For instance, the musician, actors/ actresses, traditional medicine men/ priests etc, often engage in body adornment as a way of maintaining a unique identity from other members of the global village. Several sensitizing concepts are use by every group to introduce their cultural theme(s) in the act of body adornment (Blumer 147-148). Uli body decorations is centrally important to the traditional Igbo society, especially the adherents of the African Traditional Religion because of the link between the body adornment and traditional Igbo wall painting (Udechukwu 8), as well as the mystical tenets of African Traditional Religion, as practised by the Igbo traditionalists. Velliquette and Murray have shown that “the socialsymbolic role that tattoos have played in society varies a great deal, depending on factors such as historical period, geography, economic development, innovation and cultural diffusion” (70). Sanders revealed that in ancient societies, adorning the body with tattoos were associated with permanent feature of man’s life, social and tribal connections, or celebrated appearance style that showed considerable continuity through dozens of generations. Agbogu and Enekebe have argued that in the past, the Uli decoration was an ‘alternative’ for women’s dress before the introduction of clothing into the Igbo society. Velliquette and Murray have documented that the current trend in tattooing has been explained as serving a number of social-symbolic roles (70- 71). Some of the roles include, mark of affiliation, expression of group commitment and belongingness, mark of personal identity, mark of resistance, mark of identity change etc. Conclusion The fact that women of all ages have engaged in one act or the order to improve their physical image and impress their male counterparts, has remained an age-long tradition of mankind. While many of our ladies engage in western model of body decorations, many of them are still promoting the traditional approach to body adornment. This work has accounted for a study of the Uli and Henna body decorations. It found out that the two modes of body decorations are used in different parts of Nigeria, with the Uli used amongst the South-Eastern Nigeria, while the Henna is used in the whole of Northern Nigerian region to the larger Arab world. The paper noted that the wave of imperialism has drastically reduced the Uli culture amongst the Igbo people, while the Henna has flourished notwithstanding the treats of globalization. The work therefore calls for the modernization and acculturation of the traditional Uli body decoration culture amongst the Igbo people and the increased promotion of the henna body adornment amongst the Northern Nigerian ladies, as a way to promote and preserve the cultural heritage of our people. Works Cited Agbogu, H. T. The Art of Nri. Degree Project. University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 1974. Aniakor, C. C. “Igbo Aesthetics (An Introduction), Nigeria Magazine, No 141. 1982. 5. Ball, Keith. (Ed.) “Skin and Bones: Tools of the Trade”. Tattoo 82 (June) 1996. Basden, G. T. Niger Ibos. London: Franc Cass and Co. Ltd. 1966. 330-332. Blumer, Herbert. Symbolic Interactionism: Perspective and Method. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1969. 148-149. 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