From Cleopatra to Hollywood glamour and bizarre 15 INCH talons: The 3,000 year history of the manicure revealed

  • Ancient Egyptian royals such as Cleopatra were among early fans
  • Later, manicures were loved by British aristocracy including Elizabeth I
  • Since 1900, nails have become part of fashion with changing trends
  • Modern nails come covered in everything from glitter to gold leaf

From a simple coat of nail polish to incredibly intricate and beautiful works of art, the manicure is fast becoming a fashion statement in its own right, complete withs trends, fads and ever-changing designs.

But if you thought the manicure was a relatively modern phenomenon, a major new book is set to prove you wrong.

Nails: The Story of the Modern Manicure draws on pop culture images to shed light on a strand of fashion history that has its roots in ancient Egypt.

Historic: The roots of the manicure go back more than 3,000 years to Ancient Egypt and queens like Cleopatra

Historic: The roots of the manicure go back more than 3,000 years to Ancient Egypt and queens like Cleopatra

Elizabeth I
Members of China's Ming dynasty loved to manicure their nails

Pride and joy: Elizabeth I was famous for her manicured nails as were members of China's Ming Dynasty

Beloved of royal ladies such as the famously beautiful Nefertiti, the earliest manicures involved rubbing oil and incense into the hands before painting the nails with herbal strengthening potions and colouring them using henna.

The earliest Chinese royals, and the Ming Dynasty that followed, were also fans of painted nails, with a bizarre-sounding mixture of wax, egg whites, gelatin and rubber used to dye the fingertips crimson and black.

Ancient Babylonians living in what is now modern Iraq are also known to have loved and cared for their nails, with the world's oldest manicure set - made from solid gold and dated to 3,200 BC - discovered in the country.

In the UK and elsewhere in Europe, possessing neat, manicured nails became a mark of affluence during the medieval and Tudor periods, while Elizabeth I was widely feted for her beautiful hands.

Red nails were popular in the 1980s
A polish ad that suggested using gelatin to coat the nails

Bizarre: Some unusual nail care has proved popular in the past, including using gelatin on the nails

Bright spark: Bold hot pink and red were enormously popular in the 1980s and paired with power dressing staples

Bright spark: Bold hot pink and red were enormously popular in the 1980s and paired with power dressing

But not all parts of the modern manicure set are so old: The emery board, now a staple part of the kit, wasn't invented until 1830 when an American doctor named Sits created the first one.

The cheap and cheerful nail care system he later devised quickly spread around the world, forming the basis for the elaborate looks that make up much of author Suzanne E. Shapiro's tome.

Shapiro, a researcher at The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, charts the manicure's progress from basic grooming to serious style statement, taking in fabulous photos by 20th Century greats Helmut Newton, Nikolas Muray and Richard Avedon in the process.

It concludes with a look at modern nail trends and their exponents, whether trendy WAH Nails in London which promises to 'turn fashion trends into fingernail art' or the nail expos in Tokyo where people enter their own wacky designs into competitions.

Nail art by Naomi Yasuda
Nail art by Tacarra Sutton

Spectacular: Modern nail art created by Naomi Yasuda (left) and by Tacarra Sutton (right)

Stunning: Nail art and photography by Madeline Poole, Nailing Hollywood Productions for Steve Madden

Stunning: Nail art and photography by Madeline Poole, Nailing Hollywood Productions for Steve Madden

But its not all crazy nail art. As Shapiro points out, each decade of the last century has had its own distinctive nail shapes and designs, with colours and looks sliding in and out of fashion.

The French manicure, for example, was very fashionable in the 1920 and 1930s, while the arrival of the 'power-dressing' look for women in the 1980s - think shoulder pads and an epic blow-dry - heralded the arrival of strong, deep reds and purples.

While modern manicures aren't quite the luxury item they once were, as Shapiro reveals, they're still one of the most creative parts of the beauty industry. Roll on the next 100 years!

Nails: The Story of the Modern Manicure by Suzanne E. Shapiro, (£19.99, Prestel) is released on 24th March and can be pre-ordered on Amazon

 

Competition: Nail art fans at the Tokyo Nail Expo, where they compete to create the most outre nails

Competition: Nail art fans at the Tokyo Nail Expo, where they compete to create the most outre nails

Elaborate: The competition draws fans from all over the world and includes some detailed, if wacky, designs

Elaborate: The competition draws fans from all over the world and includes some detailed, if wacky, designs

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