Tribal Tattoos and Art

Tribal tattoos have been around since ancient history. Tribal tattoos have been used to mark people for personal identification, as well as identifying certain tribes with their particular group as well as their social status. Some tribal tattoos were believed to have magical and healing powers. Tribal tattoos have become very popular during the 20 th century. There are advantages and disadvantages of having a tribal tattoo. So when one decides to get a tribal tattoo they have to think about the pros and cons that come with a tribal tattoo.
Cons of Tribal Tattoos

The tattoo removal process will be difficult, due to the large amount of black ink

It would be difficult to cover up or replace it with another tattoo because of the detail

It may take time to find an artist that can really create a tribal tattoo the way you would like it
Pros of Tribal Tattoos

Black ink, which most tribal tattoos are done, helps keep the tattoo looking fresh and is less likely to fade.

The tattoos have a distinctive look that will set you apart from the rest

Tribal tattoos have culture, history and a story behind them

Tribal tattoos come in all shapes and size, and you can think of any image from the sun to a dragon and that can be part of a tribal tattoo. There are so many tribes to choose from, so it may take some time to look for that perfect tattoo. Some popular tribes include Borneo, Maori, Native American, Chinese tribal tattoos and much more.
Tribal tattoos Picture Gallery
Tribal Angel wings Tatoo Tribal Tiger Tatoo Rose Tribal Tatoo


Types of Tribal Tattoos

Borneo tattoos are from the islands of Indonesia/Malaysia. The tattoos of this tribe are believed to protect against diseases and pain. Most members of this particular tribe shared the same style of tattoo.

Maori Tattoos originated from the people of New Zealand. The tattoos of this tribe were call Ta Moko, and were used to carve family history into their skin

Native American tattoos were used for identification purposes as well as for protection. Tattoos were also believed to have magical powers in the Native American culture.

Chinese tribal tattoos were not as popular as many other tribal tattoos and tattoos were not really admired by society. Therefore only a small percentage of the Chinese culture was tatted. The most noted Chinese tribes were that of Drung, Dai and Li.

Tribal tattoos represent culture and history. Some people may actually be descendants of the actual tribes and feel that they need to represent and show pride and honor in their heritage, and the best way to do that is get a tattoo.

Tribal tattoos are also pleasant to look at, they have a lot of history and they are detailed in design. So one may opt to get a tribal tattoo primarily on the way it looks. There are hundreds to thousands of tribes throughout history; therefore if someone is very adamant about getting a tribal tattoo, he should not have a problem when choosing the tribal tattoo. Tribal tattoos have become very popular throughout the recent years.



Source : http://www.hairstylescut.com/tattoos/tribal-tattoos.htm

Tribal Tattoos in China

The Chinese Dai & Drung and minorities carry forward customs surrounding tattoos from their forefathers. Amongst Drung ethnic minorities, females tattoo their faces. Historically, female children were tattooed at the age of twelve or thirteen as a sign of sexual maturity.

The procedure was as follows. An elderly lady would immerse a bamboo stick into water into which was mixed ground charcoal from a fire and then mark the tattoo design on the girl's face.



Next came the painful bit as she used a thorn from a bush to etch the design into the skin as a series of dots. She'd then rub charcoal in to provide the pigment.

This would result in dark blue tattoo being etched on the face. It was usual to place the tattoo between the girls' eye brows and to make another tattoo around her mouth which looked like a diamond. It was also common to create tattoos on the cheeks in the form of a butterfly.
Drung tattoos began during a period of Chinese history known as the late Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty was around three hundred and fifty years ago and is very famous (you may have heard of Min Dynasty vases which are priceless). Ancient China was very feudal and wars were common. During the Min Dynasty period the people from Drung tribes were often attacked by other groups. The women did not fight but were taken prisoners and just as slave labour

The form of tattooing just described is very popular towards the top end of the Drung River. At the other end of the river, people prefer tattoo designs which are much more straightforward. Usually, they consist of just 2 or 3 tattooed lines on the lower jaw.

To decrease the risk of being sexually attached, Drung ladies has the tattoos on their faces. The reason seems bizarre to us today but by having tattoos they aimed to make themselves look less sexually attractive and therefore safer.

Even though now the Drung peoples are no longer under attack from other tribes they still keep their tattooing customs which I think is fantastic. Drung ladies still use tattoos as a sign of sexual maturity.

Having tattoos is also an age-old tradition of the Dai people. You can still see these types of tattoos if you visit some villages. Males and females are tattooed in accordance with the Dai style. Men were tattooed on their strong muscles and women on the back of their hands , arms or in between their eyebrows (in a similar way to the Drung peoples). Thousands of years ago even Dai kids had tattoo designed pricked onto their bodies when they were five or six year old. People thought that was the best time to have the tattoo designs marked but they were not actually tattooed until they reach the age of fourteen or fifteen years old. This was really a sign of reaching manhood or womanhood and marked the end of childhood.

Unlike other chinese tribal tattoos, there were no rigid rules for tattoo design amongst the Dai people. They were free to choose a tattoo design which suited them. Chinese tiger, chinese dragon and chinese characters were popular tattoo design choices. The tattoos were black and white and drown with the sap from plants.

Dai peoples enjoy a rich history of tattoos. Centuries ago the Dai people used to live near to the river and were often attacked by "monsters" (these could have been giant crocodiles or other reptiles). Dai peoples believed that black and white tattoos kept these monsters at bay and they say having a tattoo one of the most sensible ways of avoiding death or injury by these creatures. Over millennium, tattoos lost their original purpose and changed into a symbol of masculinity in man and beauty in ladies.
Nowadays, the back of the hands are tattooed in the shape in octagonal floral designs. They still have a spot tattooed inbetween the eye brows of females, symbolising attractiveness. These tattoo designs mean that Dai people can easily recognise eachother even if they are not wearing traditional dress.



Source : http://www.chinesetattoos4u.com/Tattoos-in-Chinese.php