Welcome to the fourth Inkredible Feature, dedicated to Oriental tattoos and brought to you by the Traditional Gallery.
Oriental Tattoo motifs are among the most popular in the tattoo world, offering a fantastic world of mythological creatures and clever design solutions that have been absorbed by tattoo artist worldwide. The Japanese word for it is Irezumi, and the traditional technique is highly sophisticated: the tattooers use a number of sticks with needles joined to create a particular pattern, with countless derivations on the different effects on the skin, concepts illustrated or parts of the body that are covered. A great video of the traditional technique done by master Horiyoshi III can be seen here.
While ancient japanese tattooing sometimes had negative connotations (exclusion or social-control tattoos such as those done to criminals as punishment... including the curious kakoushibori: intended for women, it was made using a mixture of zinc oxide and rice powder. Normally invisible, it became apparent when the tattooed woman was drunk or aroused), they became highly fashionable in the Edo period (1600-1868 AD) after the release of the novel Suikoden, illustrated with fantastic woodcuts depicting its brave characters' bodies decorated with tigers, dragons and other fantastic imagery.
Japanese tattooing also has a well-known connection with the yakuza, or japanese mafia. A sign of manhood and status for gang members, tattoos are mean to be kept hidden at all times, at the risk of losing a finger for their disobedience. One of the few times yakuza members show their tattoos (often full-body suits) are while playing Oicho-Kabu, a card game from which the word yakuza originates (the losing hand is 20, when the player holds the sequence 8 -9-3 he was called "ya-ku-sa", which became a slang term for "useless" or "unpresentable"). Up to this day, some gymnasiums and pools in Japan ban tattooed people, in an attemp to prevent yakuza from entering.
The western version of japanese tattooing usually interprets freely its highly stylized motifs, allowing for the use of more colors and combinations. Among the best known are the works of Swiss artist Filip Leu.
This is a small selection from the hundreds of original fine tattoo works of the Body Art > Tattoo category. deviantART houses many excellent tattoo artists from all over the world, so look around and find someone near you... you could be the canvas and inspiration for a new work of art.

If you love tattooing and want to see your favorite pieces get a Daily Deviation, send me a note with "DD Suggestion" as the subject and a link or thumb to the deviation. You can add a short write-up on the piece if you want.







Coming Soon: Inkredible Feature #4 - Traditional American Tattoos!
Previous Issues: Inkredible Feature #3 - Tribal Tattoos
Inkredible Feature #2 - Black & Grey Tattoos

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