Our race evolved through thousands of years, forming communities – civilizations creating different cultures, adding sophistication in our lifestyle. Now divided by borders we are embracing the spirit of our past, surviving as an urban animal. All these years of evolving passing down information from generation to generation, what all the communities and cultures share in common are the symbolic expressions. Each community around the world has their own distinctive symbols. Symbols that have some meaning-some memories and practice of inking these symbols onto the bodies also dates back to thousands of years. There are several lines of archeological evidence through which to study ancient tattooing, the marks identified on naturally and deliberately preserved human skin provide the only direct evidence of tattooing in antiquity. Until recently there was a discrepancy regarding the identity of the oldest tattooed human remains, with popular and scholarly sources alternately awarding the honor to the Tyrolean Iceman known as Ötzi. The European Tyrolean Iceman who died and was buried beneath an Alpine glacier along the Austrian–Italian border around 3250 B.C. Ötzi had 61 tattoos across his body.
In today’s world these symbols have become more of personal identification mark rather than relating to tribe communities or titles. Tattoo can have purely decorative – with no specific meaning. They can be symbolic – with a specific meaning pertinent to the wearer or pictorial – depiction of a specific person or item.
Irezumi – Irezumi is the Japanese word for tattoo, and Japanese tattooing has its own distinct style. Created over centuries ago, it shares complicated historical background of Japanese clans. Irezumi is done by hand, using wooden handles and metal needles attached via silk thread. This method also requires special ink called Narazumi. All over it is traditional method and very painful process. In urban world the style of irezumi is embraced by many artists.
Scarification – These practices are common in some African tribes. But as the name suggests – it is not a modern day conventional method of getting inked. Scarifying (also scarification modification) involves scratching, etching, burning / branding, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification. You may want to get one of these, but only if you have some strong emotional connect with your tattoo.
Sailor tattoo – Sailors of new era were probably the first to get inked with what they live in – live with and live for. Being a sailor has not been an easy passion to follow. Floating on endless waves escaping into blue horizon surely need some spirit . The popular tattoo styles linked with sailors are – Bottles of booze, snakes, wildcats, “aloha” monkey, birds of prey, swallows, motor heads and pistons, nautical stars, Weapons such as guns and knives, Dice.
mimesis 