Collective term for the range of artistic decoration and embellishment applied to the human body for purposes of cultural identity, beautification, or self expression. It includes such forms as scarification, tattooing, body piercing and painting, hair styling, and the wearing of jewelry. Distinct from "body art" which refers to performance works produced since the 1960s that employ human bodies as the medium of expression.
Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
http://vocab.getty.edu/page/aat/300264425
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