Since the beginning of humanity, tattoos have been used all over the world, by countless civilizations, for a multitude of reasons, and with all sorts of materials used to dye the human skin permanently.
Several ancient mummies once entombed in the pyramids, both male, and female, have been found with elaborately decorated skin. Some tribes, such as the Amazon Indians and the Ainu of Japan, adorned their faces with tattoos, and other groups applied tattoos to their torsos, necks, and extremities.
Contents
History of tattoos
In earlier times, tattoos were used to denote rank, fertility, religion, and sexuality. They were also used for protection from black magic, evil spirits, and bad luck. Distinctions were made as to the wearer’s financial status, as well as his social associations.
Today tattoos are used as decoration and to honor a loved one or family member. Some symbols are original portraits similar to those seen in professional art galleries. Tattoos are also used as permanent makeup for lining the eyes, accentuating the eyebrows and coloring the lips, as well as to cover scars and blemishes.
Tattoos can sometimes denote gang affiliations, with members receiving rustic tattoos while they are imprisoned, and those with access to professional tattoo artists sporting graffiti-like designs on their necks, arms, backs, and chests. Some gang members wear tattoos in the shape of teardrops near the eyes, groups of dots and crucifixes. Law enforcement officials can at times use these types of symbols to identify members of criminal organizations and street gangs.
The modern history of tattoos
Mainstream tattoo designs range from plants to insects and animals. Tattoos are placed on all parts of the body, from head to toe, with only the palms of the hands and bottoms of the feet not being inked. The fingers, earlobes, and eyelids are prime places to apply new tattoos, leaving no wasted space on the wearer.
Type of inks
The materials used as tattoo dyes during ancient times included henna, berries and other plant materials, ashes and gunpowder. Today the materials consist of chemical-based compounds such as titanium dioxide and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. These materials result in brighter colors and longer permanent tattoos.
Digital help in tattoo field
As with everything else in our modern times, tattoo patterns have now gone digital. They can be designed with computer software and shared via the world wide web. Digital images of tattoos can be transmitted around the world in a matter of seconds with 3D help. And videos depicting the intricacies of drawing on the skin abound on sites like YouTube. There are websites, forums, and blogs dedicated to the sole discussion of the art and application of tattoos. This has resulted in the proliferation of tens of thousands of designs for the tattoo lover to choose from.
So yes … the tattoo will be ever with us! 🙂
As you can see, tattoos have evolved since ancient times, but the traditions remain the same. People enjoy decorating their bodies and standing out from the crowd.
Source of images: Pinterest
