What do WWII battles, ballistic missiles, and the deadly brown tree snake have in common?
Although tattooing is stigmatized and doesn't have a strong tradition among mainstream Chinese, many Chinese minority groups have much stronger tattooing traditions. Some of these groups are the Dulong and Dai tribes, along with the Li people of Hainan Island.
Many Indigenous tribes around the world have distinctive traditional tattoos. These tattoo traditions stem from long before European settlers arrived.
To create tattoos, people insert ink into the dermis layer of the skin, which changes the color of the skin pigment and stays there permanently.
The Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, are known for their tattoos called tā moko. The art form was brought to them from Polynesia and is considered highly sacred.
However, traditionally designed tattoos were still less common throughout society and not socially accepted. It was still mainly outcasts, such as circus performers, sailors, and criminals, who sported tattoos.
Traditionally, Japanese tattoos began as a means of conveying societal status as well as serving as spiritual symbols of protection and devotion. However, over time, tattoos became a form of punishment for prisoners and stigma grew.
Since the Māori people consider the head to be the most sacred part of the body, the most popular kind of tattoo is the facial tattoo. Consisting of curved shapes and spiral-like patterns, each tattoo is highly unique and ritualized.
Emma de Burgh was a famous tattooed lady in the entertainment industry. The design of her tattoos had many religious connotations, including links to the Last Supper and The Calvary.
In the beginning of the 20th century, tattooed circus performers attracted and amazed crowds of people. Some performers would be covered in elaborate body art that kept all eyes on them.
American circus performer Maud Wagner was one of the first female tattoo artists in the US. She is seen photographed here in 1907.
The techniques and tools used for this traditional practice have hardly changed, and the skill is passed down from father to son. Tattooing ceremonies are generally held to mark a younger chief’s ascension to a leadership role within the community.
The oldest known human to have tattoos preserved on mummified skin is a Bronze Age man from around 3300 BCE. Found in a glacier of the Ötztal Alps, near the border between Austria and Italy, Ötzi the Iceman had 61 tattoos.
In early Greek and Roman times, tattooing was associated with barbarians. The Greeks learned to tattoo from the Persians, and used it to mark slaves and criminals. This was a way to identify them if they tried to escape. The Romans adopted this practice from the Greeks.
Other early examples of tattoos can be traced back to the Middle Kingdom period of ancient Egypt. Several mummies discovered exhibiting tattoos date back to 2160–1994 BCE.
The word "stigma" can be traced back to ancient Rome, when slaves would get inked. The Latin origin of the word means a mark or puncture, especially one made by a pointed instrument.
In 'The Descent of Man' (1871), Charles Darwin wrote that there was no country in the world that didn't practice tattooing or some other form of permanent body decoration.
Following WWII, tattoos were outlawed by the emperor of Japan in an effort to improve the country's image in the West. And even if tattoos are no longer prohibited, there's still a strong social stigma against them.
The designs and their meanings vary amongst communities. Inuit women, for example, would get tattoos from needles made of bone, either by the hand-poking technique or skin stitching. The tattoos would mark a milestone, such as a woman’s first menstruation or motherhood.
The Māori tattoo artist is called the tohunga ta moko, which means specialist. These tattooists are highly respected, and are considered to be holy. Tohunga ta moko have mostly been men, but there are a few women as well.
Tattooing in Europe and the Americas became popular among sailors as a method of self-expression, but also as identification in case a sailor fell overboard. Young sailors would be tattooed after joining the crew, almost like a ceremony to welcome them on board. From there, the traditional art form continued to grow.
Sailors would also get tattoos from the different ports that they sailed to. The tattoos symbolized the different destinations as well as the length of their journey.
Although tattooing was associated with lower classes in the 20th century, it became mainstream in the Western world in the 1970s.
In many countries today, tattoos are common among both men and women, as well as across all economical classes and ages.
Sources: (Wellcome Collection) (AuthorityTattoo) (The Link) (Zealand Tattoo)
See also: Celebrities who love (and regret) their couple tattoo
In the Chinese province of Xinjiang, tattooed mummies have been found, dating back to 2100 BCE. Tattooing was, and still is, considered to be barbaric and is highly stigmatized in China.
Tattooing has been a part of Samoan cultural traditions for thousands of years. And it's even believed that the word "tattoo" stems from the Samoan word tatau.
Throughout the 1920s, cosmetic tattoos became very popular among women who couldn't afford expensive makeup. Common makeup tattoos included eyebrows and lip liner.
Locations where tattooing practices have been recorded on ancient human remains include Alaska, Mongolia, Greenland, Egypt, China, and the Philippines.
The tattoos were found in various different locations on Ötzi's body, with the majority of ink inscriptions located on his legs. Close examination of the markings indicate that soot or fireplace ash were used to create the tattoos.
Tattoos are permanent forms of body art where pigment is inserted under the skin. Found in a multitude of different cultures all over the world, the earliest evidence of tattoo art dates back thousands of years. Since its early times, the forms and meanings of tattoos have evolved tremendously, and we're more fascinated now than ever.
Want to discover the history of tattoos? Then check out this gallery.
The fascinating history of tattoos
From bronze age to modern times
LIFESTYLE Ink
Tattoos are permanent forms of body art where pigment is inserted under the skin. Found in a multitude of different cultures all over the world, the earliest evidence of tattoo art dates back thousands of years. Since its early times, the forms and meanings of tattoos have evolved tremendously, and we're more fascinated now than ever.
Want to discover the history of tattoos? Then check out this gallery.