Tattoo Patterns
From LoveToKnow Tattoos
Abstract tattoo patterns are often based on images from Celtic or Polynesian art, but they can also reflect myriad other interests and personal histories.
Some Popular Tattoo Patterns
Representational tattoos are still common, but abstract patterns are appearing in modern tattoos around the world. Here are two of the most popular styles:
Celtic Patterns
Celtic knots are endlessly versatile. These intricately twined lines can make armbands, lower back tattoos, or abstract patterns elsewhere on the body. They make lovely backgrounds for other images, too. Celtic patterns also include ancient crosses, spirals, and claddaghs. (A heart topped by a crown and cradled by two hands, the claddagh is an Irish symbol of love.)
Tribal Patterns
Tribal styles emerged from Polynesian and other ancient arts, but modern "tribal" just refers to bold, black or solid-colored lines that form graceful arcs - often in a mirror-image pattern.
Places to Look for Unusual Tattoo Patterns
Popular flash sites like Tattoo Johnny have collections of basic tattoo patterns for sale. You can find these sites with a quick web search. If you're looking for something different, here are some sites to try:
Vanishing Tattoo
Vanishing Tattoo maintains a collection of tattoo patterns, with examples and explanations. Even more interesting is their collection of articles by Lars Krutak, a tattoo scholar who has written about some of the oldest tattoo traditions around the world. You'll find photos of tattoo patterns by tribespeople in Borneo, early twentieth-century Native American tattoos, body art from Mozambique, and more.
LuckyFish Art
Artist Pat Fish creates original tattoo flash based on classic patterns from several cultures. She has an extensive collection of Celtic Designs. Other inspirations include Polynesian art, Buddhist graphics, Maori designs, and many more.
More unusual are her crop circles designs. They're based on actual crop circles, painstakingly measured and then re-created as tattoo patterns.
Skin Stories
In 2003, PBS aired a special about Polynesian tattooing. The web site is still active, and it features pages of authentic tribal tattoo patterns. Many of these resemble our modern "tribal" style tattoos, but the traditional process was much more painful and each tattoo had a traditional as well as personal meaning.
Pohnpei Heaven
Pohnpei is an island in the nation of Micronesia, far out in the Pacific Ocean more than a thousand miles from Hawaii. A website made for visitors to the island features a page of traditional tattoos. Although the locals no longer practice tattooing as a rite of passage, you can see the intricate work that once adorned the native people.
More Ideas for Tattoo Patterns
There are many other sources for unusual tattoo patterns. Here are some thoughts on some less common designs:
- Labyrinths: The labyrinth is an ancient symbol. Walking a mazelike pattern is used in some types of meditation. Following the slow, curving path helps to clear the mind.
- Charms: Tiny shapes, in the style of a charm bracelet, can make a unique pattern that represents your own personal interests and passions.
- Egyptian symbols: Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, scarabs, and ankhs carry thousands of years of meaning. The scarab beetle signifies creation, the ankh is a symbol of eternal life, and the Udjat (a stylized eye) confers protection and healing. You can learn more about these symbols at Thinkquest.org.
A Word About Tribal Tattoo Patterns
If you're going to choose a tattoo pattern from another culture, make sure you understand the meaning of what you're having inked. Although some people from ancient cultures enjoy seeing their traditional patterns continued in tattoo art, many are dismayed and even offended. The tattoos can have very deep, important cultural meanings. In some cases, tattoos have to be earned by the wearer. People who don't understand the traditional patterns may wear these tattoos incorrectly, and their choices can seem disrespectful.
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