I thought this eye shadow quartet from Clarins' summer collection would be a good follow-up to yesterday's post on Chanel's Indian-inspired palette. I didn't purchase this because I didn't think it was quite up to Museum standards, nor do I see it fitting in to any upcoming exhibitions just yet, but it's worth a mention.
The outer case has a delicately dotted pattern along the left and a large circular one on the right. The same shapes appear on each eye shadow.
(images from nordstrom.com)
I'm not sure about the teardrop-shaped design, but I'm fairly certain the circular pattern is a variation on a mandala, a motif in Buddhist and Hindu art. According to mandalaproject.org, "the word 'mandala' is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean 'circle,' a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself–a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds."
Here are some examples on a temple ceiling in Madurai, South India.
(image from travel.yahoo.com)
Here's a more detailed shot of the ceiling:
And a mandala on the floor:
(images from kitchenoperas.com)
However, I'm inclined to think the Clarins design looks less authentic than the mandalas you'd find in temples – it looks more like this henna tattoo drawing:
(image from tattoodonkey.com)
What do you think?