Tattoone tattoo: 2011

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Samoan Tattoo Designs

The art of tattooing is an ancient practice. In fact, uncovered mummies show that it has been in practice for thousands of years already. So while the modern designs are also cool, it might be a good idea to revisit the old traditions to rediscover great body art ideas. One great find from the past are Samoan tattoo designs.
And when these ancient designs are combined with the modern equipments of today, and influenced by some modernization, the result can be a breathtaking tattoo design. And to help you understand better why Samoan tattoo designs are epic, here is a close look at its origin:
A Brief History
Samoan tattoo designs are believed to have been developed around 2,000 years ago in the lands of Polynesia. In the country, there resides an ancient ethnic group called Samoans which are known for their lust for tattooing. And for some reason, their heritage in body art survived until today.
According to the legend of the Samoan tribe, the art of tattooing was introduced to them by two women named Teama and Tilafaiga. And since then, it had flourished and became part of their culture and tradition. In the tribe, both men and women get the tattoo.

A Symbol Of Status
Along the history of the Samoans, the art introduced by Taema and Tilafaiga became a way to show an individual's status in society. Generally, the larger and the more elaborate the design, the higher is the status of the person wearing it. But gender-wise, men always seem to have bigger tattoos than women.
Also, the art of tattooing became almost a necessity among the males of the ethnic group. It is said that as soon as the boy's body is assumed to have stopped growing, the tattooing ceremony would begin. Later in Samoan history however, this privilege became secluded to the royalty.
A Rich Variety
Alright, so what makes Samoan tattoo designs attractive to the modern tattoo enthusiast? First of all, the striking variety in designs is stunning. There are so many patterns to choose from and each one of them is elaborate and beautiful.
Also, one feature of the Samoan tattoo design is that it covers a large portion of the body. It can run across the back and down to the knee and also around the arms. Although of course, the extent of the tattoo is subject to the person's taste and choice.
So if you are looking for a great new idea in body art and tattooing, you know that Samoan tattoo designs will make a sophisticated and unique choice. It may be old and ancient, but its long life is only a testimony of its success and its patronage by many people.

Get Thousands of Ideas For a Tattoo

The earliest tattoo in recorded history can be found in Egypt around the time of the building of the great pyramids, although without a doubt tattooing was practised as long ago as 12,000 BC. The art of tattooing spread rapidly with the expansion of the Egyptian Empire, with Crete, Greece, Arabia And Persia among many civilisations to pick up and expand the art form. Around 2000 BC it spread to China and eventually most of the world.

Tattoos were popular among many ethnic minorities in ancient Chinese times, But among the ethnic majority ( The Han Chinese ),Tattoos were mostly associated with criminals, bandits and gangsters, where these undesirables would be branded with a tattoo. In many other cultures tattoos were used to visibly mark or brand criminals, convicts, slaves or outcasts, and of course the most infamous use of tattoos for identification and degradation was by the Nazis against the Jews.

Tattoos have always played an important role in ritual and tradition. For Example: Rights of passage - A ritual marking a persons progress from one status to another. Ceremonies for puberty, Coming of age, Marriages and deaths. Religious ceremonies such as baptism or confirmation. Decorations for bravery. Talismans for protection, to name but a few.

Western tattooing has it's roots in Polynesia the "Tatau" having been discovered by eighteenth century explorers. The Tatau becoming a favourite adornment of European sailors before spreading to western societies in general. In fact many seafairers became tattooed to enable identification if they were unlucky enough to drown. So, many tattooists set up shop to practice their craft at sea ports where there was no shortage of customers. Tattooists still thrive in naval ports today as sailors in the royal Navy are quite partial to tattoos.

Tattoos are also used for cosmetic purposes to hide or camouflage skin discolorations and blemishes, even to cover up old unwanted tattoos, especially (as in the case of many celebrities) after a divorce or separation where the name of the "ex" is now an embarrassment on the body!! Tattoos are even used to create permanent makeup, to line the lips or eyes, enhance the eyebrows or as a full permanent lipstick.

Since the latter part of the 20th century tattoos have experienced a rebirth in popularity. Pop culture being influential inspiring reality based TV shows covering real life tattooing practice and associated information. Tattoos as an art form started to be exhibited at art exhibitions with different artists work being shown and reviewed. Studies in 2006 revealed that 36% of Americans between the age of 18-64 had at least one tattoo. Today who knows by how much those figures will have risen.

In the west today tattoos are incredibly popular as a body art form. Gifted tattoo artists can adorn your body with any design you want. More and more tattoo parlours are popping up making it very easy to get tattooed. If you want to get tattooed but are not sure which design to go for, there is no quicker and easier way to find the design you want than to look on the internet.There are millions of illustrations for you to browse through so you'll have no trouble finding a design to suit your needs. You can browse, choose the design, save it and then print it and take it to your local tattooist, who will skillfully replicate the design on whatever part of your body you choose.

The most popular, and by far the best site on the net for tattoo designs is " Chopper Tattoo" they simply have the largest selection of award winning tattoo designs to choose from. Period. Once you become a Chopper Tattoo member you will have access to thousands of designs. When you have found your " perfect tattoo" you can click on the design, enlarge it and then print it. Chopper Tattoo also has a feature to help you find tattoo parlours near you. You can also customize any lettering in your tattoo by choosing from thousands of ideas.