body painting
Quick Summary
Nuba man
Facial and body design on a young Nuba man, Sudan.
Body painting is the application of paint to a person's body. This practice has been used for various purposes across different cultures. For instance, some young Nuba men in Sudan use extensive body painting to celebrate their youthful vigor. In Australia, Aboriginal people have used white body paint in traditional ceremonies. Body painting can be considered a form of personal decoration, alongside scarification, hairdressing, and jewelry, and can serve aesthetic, social, or symbolic functions.12
Summary created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
