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?