From Ancient Times to Modern Day

Tattooing has been practised across the globe since at least Neolithic times, as evidenced by mummified preserved skin, ancient art and the archaeological record.

The History of Tattoos

The vast majority of the world’s population today is covered in tattoos. There are many types of tattoos, and it is impossible to provide a brief and conclusive history of all the different types. However, a brief history of tattooing can be summarised as follows: At least 50 different designs exist, but the most common and important ones include various sun symbols, insect symbols, abstract shapes such as the infinity symbol, crosses, and a variety of animals.

The appearance of tattoos declined rapidly after the Industrial Revolution as people became more concerned with cleanliness, hygiene, and all the resultant sanitation issues. In the early to mid-1900s tattoos were considered generally undesirable and often covered up or covered with clothing.

Tattooing & Society

For centuries tattooing was viewed as a sign of derangement or insanity, as it is still seen in some parts of the world today. In Japan, tattooists (kabuki-mausu) were prosecuted as criminals in the Meiji era for being “bereft of scruple and with uncivilised faces, [they] pierce their skin with needles or steel-tipped brushes and as well as tattoo tattoos, cut or scald the faces, lips, and hands of their customers”.

In modern day China, people who wanted tattoos were required to have the tattoos performed by religious shamans, many of whom had themselves had their own faces tattooed as a way of honouring their ancestral line. These shamans continue to perform ceremonial tattooing for religious rites and represent a significant part of the tattooing culture in China.

Types of Tattoos

There are three major types of tattoo; straight, curved and tribal. Straight Straight tattoos have a line that runs down the centre of the body from one side to the other.

There are two ways to get these types of tattoos. Either by piercing the skin with a needle (and inserting a reed in the wound to close it up) or by using a technique called “laying in”. This involves the tattoo artist using a stencil or imprinting needle to draw an outline on the skin. After they are finished with the outline, they will then use a special treatment to adhere the tattoo to the surrounding skin. The process usually takes 30 to 60 minutes, although the tattoo artist usually keeps the machine running so that the inked area remains fresh for several hours.

Conclusion

The historical record indicates that tattoos have been practised for over 13,000 years, and that over half of modern humans alive today have at least one tattoo. Modern research also indicates that ancient shamans have developed hundreds of different tattooing techniques over the years, with the majority of these techniques originating from the Middle East. So if you are after a comprehensive work of tattoo art to adorn yourself with, there is a good chance you will find what you are looking for in this post.