The way you look at me

I am deeply intrigued by the use of eye adornment in religiously segregated societies. Eyes have been considered vehicles of bad omen, windows to the soul and symbols of beauty. Traditional South Asian poetry is full of praise for eyes and eyes as symbols of love. In certain cultures, the eye features in complex ideas referring to jealousy and animosity, and in simpler contexts, to curiosity. The eye is not just a means to look at the world as it exists. In societies with strictly applied codes of gender segregation, the eyes are a means of intimate exchange between lovers. Classical Urdu and Farsi poetry heavily rely on the eye as a symbol and metaphor for love, a vehicle of thoughts and an expression of deeply felt desires. This symbolism trickles down to mid-twentieth century Indian cinema, with its strong preference for casting doe-eyed heroines and for songs using the same tradition of eye symbols.