#chinese tattoo
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inspofromancientworld · 3 months ago
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Tattooing in the Far East and Oceania
Since preserving skin takes mummification, without direct effort, a dry climate, whether hot or cold, is needed to create them, so we don't have a complete history of tattooing in many cultures, or even back as far in history as we have evidence of humans. But, there are locations that have preserved skin or customs for us to learn about ancient practices.
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Source courtesy Victor Mair, Culture: Unknown, Location: Tarim Basin, China, Date: 1000-600 B.C.
One of those deserts is in China, the Taklamakan Desert, which shows that tattoos were used around 1200 BCE, but during the Han Dynasty (202 BCE - 220 BCE), tattoos were used to mark criminals. These mummies were discovered in the Tarim Basin (which contains the Taklamakan Desert) from what are thought to be the ancestors of Uyghur people today, looking more Caucasian than Asian, were decorated with several motifs, such as crescent moons, suns, and other intricate designs, which may show their primary god and indicate they were a shaman. This interpretation is based on the evidence from near-by cultures. They also tattooed their face at times, which indicated pride in and the importance of the tattoos.
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By anonymus - Mann und Weib.III. page 458, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15174677
In Japan, men started wearing elaborate tattoos in the late 3rd century CE, though there is also evidence for tattooing going back to the Joumon (or paleolithic) period given that there are figurines with cord patterns on them. In the Yayoi period (300 BCE - 300 CE) tattoo designs on Chinese visitors in Kyushu were documented on, with speculation about them being spiritual or for status. In the 8th century CE "Records of Ancient Matters", tattooed people were considered outsiders, denying a history of tattooing in Japan. The Ainu people, the indigenous group of northern Japan, however, have a tradition of tattooing for decoration or status, or as protection against disease.
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Te Ara The movement of peoples around the Pacific and from Asia into the Pacific over the last 6,000 years.
The Polynesian cultures of Oceania have a very long history of tattooing, developing over thousands of years and through the cultures that developed on the various islands they inhabited. The word 'tattoo' comes from the Tahitian islander's term 'tatatau' or 'tattau', as reported by James Cook's expedition in 1769.
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By Louis John Steele - bwEy48meVL_AzQ at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21871113 and By Louis John Steele - bwEy48meVL_AzQ at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21871113
One of the most well known Polynesian cultures is the Māori of what is now New Zealand. Their tattoos, called 'tā moko' (the art of tattooing), are marks of high status and survived European attempts to eliminate them. Each moko is designed specifically for the person since it conveys much about who that person in, from their family to their accomplishments. On women, these tattoos are centered around the mouth and chin, while men often have tattoos around their whole faces and bodies. To receive a moku, generally certain milestones or accomplishments need to be reached and the recipient needs to have the right social status.
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By Thomas Andrew (1855 - 1939) - National Library of New Zealand, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10113865 and By RunningToddler - Bits & Bytes, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3148860
Another well-known Polynesian culture with a rich tattoo history are the Samoa. In Samoa, men receive a 'pe'a' tatto, which covers their lower back and legs, and women receive a 'malu' which covers the legs from below the buttocks to below the knee. Malu tend to be more delicate and less covering than the pe'a, and are focused around a particular motif (called the malu) which is tattooed in the popliteal fossa (back of the knee), and has suggestions of shelter and protection. Sometimes, women are tattooed on their hands and lower abdomen as well. These tattoos are a sign of cultural pride, status, such that when a man completes his tattoo, he is called a saga'imitti and respected because he underwent the painful ordeal. A man without a tattoo is called telefua or telenao, meaning 'naked', and a man who hasn't completed the tattoo process because of the pain (or not being able to pay) is called pe'a mutu, a mark of shame. The tattooists (called a tufuga ta tatau) are revered as well. Modern Samoan tattoo artists continue to practice their art in the same way as they did prior to European contact, with serrated bone combs tied to tortoise shell fragments, tied to a short wooden handle and then tapped with a mallet. The ink is made from candlenut soot and stored in coconut shell cups. A length of tapa cloth (a barkcloth) is used to wipe blood from the skin and tools.
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By Thomas Andrew (1855-1939) - http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/Search.aspx?page=8&imagesonly=true&term=Thomas+Andrew, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10113825
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Resources:
The Beauty of Loulan and the Tattooed Mummies of the Tarim Basin
Pacific voyaging and discovery
Tāmoko | Māori tattoos: history, practice, and meanings
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feckineejit · 1 year ago
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My new tattoo is nearly finished!!!!!
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I love it SO much!
Mad props to Amostats @ Belfast City Skinworks for doing such a great job.
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anothermeandmore · 2 years ago
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grisbleuvert · 1 year ago
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grmcstudios · 2 years ago
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Chinese scripture whereupon translates to “Time heals”
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fuckyeahchinesefashion · 1 month ago
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tattoo stickers in chinese gufeng style by 啊啊啊阿祝啊
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artbysarf · 9 months ago
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The Moth and the Lizard are married actually
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weepingwidar · 1 month ago
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Oscar yi Hou (Chinese-British, 1998) - Cowboy Kato Coolie, aka: Bruce's Bitch (2021)
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mothlingmeg · 1 year ago
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gorgeous creatures | we don’t deserve moths
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pixxelminxx · 8 months ago
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belated obligatory 413 group hug 💚💙💜❤️
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semifinaldraw · 3 months ago
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branching out
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feckineejit · 1 year ago
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Had the first sitting for my new tattoo yesterday - love it so much!
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Still got another crane, flowers, and more detail to be added.
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endofbeginings · 8 months ago
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5/24.
inspired by vintage chinese pin up style posters.
watercolor flower set x
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asiansinboots · 5 months ago
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Thigh or Knee boots day?
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mastergeckotattoo · 1 year ago
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Your Highness, I am forever your most devoted believer
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kvnai · 11 months ago
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Happy Year of the Dragon 2024 🐉竜 Starfield Library (Seoul. SK)
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