Russian Tattoos

Russia's tattoo history that i can find is connected purely to prison and the tattoos that inmates get while incarcerated have certain meanings.

Russian mafia tattoos started gaining popularity during the Soviet Union's heyday. Prisoners were put through a brutal Soviet prison system known as the "gulag"; there, they began to create their own power hierarchy based on time served and crimes committed, among others. They branded themselves with tattoos so others could see at a glance where they stood, and the various crimes they committed.

You had to earn the tattoos you bore—gangsters caught with tattoos symbolizing false status had them brutally removed with sandpaper, glass and other abrasives, or were even killed or raped. Here are a few classic Russian gang tattoos and their meanings:

THE CATHEDRAL: A cathedral (or monastery, church, castle or fortress) tattooed on the back, hand or chest tends to denote the amount of time the bearer has been in prison, with each steeple representing a year. It can also indicate the number of times the bearer has been incarcerated, if he's served time for multiple offenses.

THE COBWEB: A spider's web, usually found on the shoulders, says the bearer has or had a drug addiction. A spider on the shoulders denotes that the bearer has a high rank.

THE CAT: Cat tattoos serve as the mark of a thief. A single cat means the thief acted alone; multiple cats say the thief was part of a bigger gang.

THE DAGGER: A dagger through the neck means that the bearer killed someone while incarcerated. It also indicates that he is available to be hired for a "hit". If there are drops of blood tattooed on the blade, those indicate the number of murders the bearer committed.

KNUCKLE DOTS: The number of dots on the bearer's knuckles correlate to the number of years the bearer served in prison.

STARS: Stars tattooed on the knees mean the bearer will bow down to no man. On the shoulders, they can mean the bearer is one of discipline, high status and tradition, or they denote that the bearer has been promoted to captain of the mafia.

THE BULL: A bull tattooed on the chest or forearm means the bearer is a hitman, and has been hired by their mafia boss to kill.

THE PIRATE: A pirate tattoo means the bearer has committed armed robbery.

THE TIGER: A tiger tattoo is usually found on the neck, arms or back. It typically signifies that the bearer has killed a law enforcement officer, like a policeman or prison guard.

India Tattoo

Indians are very particular about culture and when many people are getting tattoo Faridabad, most people still think about the culture and tradition attached to body art.  Tattoo was used mostly as a form of celebration and receptions, weddings, and other such festive celebrations saw many body arts being created. 

Along with celebrations bringing out these decorative souls, tattoo Chandigarh and other Indian countries was something that women mostly did.  Mehandi was what this work of art on the female body was known as and it is also a tattoo form that is commonly used today known as Henna tattoo.  This form of body art was not only used in India but was used in many rituals in areas as far as Africa.  The Henna tattoo is not permanent like the ones done with the needles and ink and it is a form of body art that women loved because it faded after a period of time. 

The art of creating Mehandi was a very popular routine and all women participating in a wedding in the past would tattoo their body as a tradition. Along with the use of tattoos to celebrate certain occasions, there were some Indians who used tattoos as a part of their beliefs.  These Indians would apply the body art to ward off bad spirits and any other omens they may think might be around them.  This belief behind getting a tattoo Chandigarh is still being practiced today; even if it is not on such a wide scale as in the past. 

Tattoo Faridabad as with tattoos throughout India was also done to show affection and love.  Many people in the Indian society choose to get tattoos if they lost someone they loved.  These tattoos will be the person’s name or it may also be the name of a god that they adored.  The pratice of getting different fertility symbols tattooed on the body was also very popular and many Indian women would also tattoo a symbol to represent good health and long life. 

As you can see, the history of tattoo in India has transcended throughout the years and today many people are wearing tattoo in Chandigarh for fashion and as a part of their culture as well.  Tattoo is very famous throughout the world and is used as an expression of oneself. 

If you have been seeking a way to express yourself and be an individual, think about getting a tattoo in Chandigarh and see the difference it makes.

Tattoo Design

Basic foundations of tattooing is the tattoo design. Without the, what is there to tattoo?
A common mistake in the field is that a tattooist who can draw feels that their shop won't be respectable if they carry "storebought" flash or stock tattoo designs and insist on hand drawing every design on their shop walls. Don't fall into this category, because people have rally different tastes and a good stock of all types of designs from all types of artists will ensure something for everybody. is is good business sense to have a variety. If someone wants a custom design for themselves, no problem.

Personalized tattoos are great for sales and the customer walks away with a "one-of-a-kind". If you can't draw it, ask them to bring the design in themselves, or have a local artist do it for you. You can spend hours and hours on special designs for people who ordered them and might not ever return. So, if you're smart, get a deposit when someone wants you to draw up something special. Charge them for the time spent drawing it up. If they don't want to pay for that, tell them to find a design already made up and you'll be happy to put it on them.

Designs for tattoos are found everywhere. You should be able to copy just about anything and transfer it to the client. if you look around, good designs can be found from any sources; books, photos, cards, brochures, wall paper, posters, comics, advertisements, tv, magazines, etc. The size usually needs to be changed and often it will need to be modified for tattooing in some way. Not everything looks good on skin.

Chinese Tattoo History

Tattooing has been an art known in China for thousands of years. It is know as Ci Shen or Wen Shen which literally means "puncture the body". It has an uncommon practice in China. Tattooing has been seen as a defamation of the body in Chinese history, something undesirable.

One of the 4 classical novels of Chinese Literature, does reference tattooing. Water Margin tell stories of bandits of Mount Liang area of China during the early 12th century. The novel talks about the 108 companions of the historical bandit Song Jiang. Three of these characters are referenced as having tattoos covering their entire bodies which looking at the views of tattooing in china and bandits being bandits it fits the bill. 

The most famous tattoo in Chinese history comes from the legend of the Chinese general Yueh Fei. Yueh Fei served the South Song Dynasty. During battle with northern enemies the Field Marshall under whom Yueh Fei served betrayed the South Song and went over to the enemy. In protest Yueh Fei resigned and returned home. His mother grew angry with him, telling him that his duty was first and foremost to his country, despite all else. To remind him of this fact she tattooed four characters on his back with her sewing needle. These characters, jin zhong bao guo, are difficult to translate but mean something like “Serve his country with ultimate loyalty.”

At some points in Chinese history Chinese tattoos were also used to mark criminals. Criminals convicted of a severe crime would be ordered to have a tattoo printed on their face and exiled into a faraway land. Even should the criminal ever return the tattoo would mark them forever as a criminal? This form of punishment was known as Ci Pei

In modern China Chinese tattoos have grown somewhat of a stigma as being affiliated with organized crime and the criminal underworld.

Dulong Tattoos

Tattooing among women of the Dulong group, who live along the Dulong River, dates back to the Ming Dynasty some 350 years ago. During this time the Dulong were under attack from many of their neighbors, and the women would often be taken as slaves.The Dulong women began tattooing their faces in reaction. It was thought that the tattoos would make them uglier and less likely to be raped. This tradition has continued into modern times despite the fact that the Dulong are no longer under attack from neighboring tribes.At the age of 12 or 13 all Dulong girls are tattooed on their faces. This is a rite of passage among Dulong women and is seen as a sign of maturity

Dai Tattoos

The Dai people of China have an ancient tattooing tradition. Both men and women among the Dai are tattooed. Dai women are generally tattooed on the backs of their hands, their arms or have a small dot tattooed between their eyebrows. Among Dai men tattoos are seen as a sign of strength and virility. Generally tattoos will be made in such a way as to accentuate and draw attention to their muscles. Although there are no fixed traditional designs among the Dai people, most commonly the tattoos will be of a ferocious beast such as a dragon or a tiger. In ancient times Dai tattoos were given to young children of the ages of 5 or 6, however it grew to be more common to be given about the ages of 14 or 15, sort of a rite of passage into adulthood. Tattooing among the Dai is still practiced to this day.

Li Tattoos

Tattooing also has a long standing tradition among the Li people of Hainan Island. Most commonly tattooing among the Li people, like those of the Du Long, are practiced among the women. Men have been known to have three blue circular rings tattooed on their wrists for medicinal purposes, but other than that the tattooing is among women. Like both the Du Long and the Dai, the art of tattooing among the Li is seen as a rite of passage into maturity and adulthood. A Li girl is tattooed sometime during the ages of 13 or 14. The girl would first be tattooed on the nape of the neck, the throat and on the face. This process would take about four or five days.Over the next three years, the girl would then have her arms and legs tattooed. Her hands were not tattooed. Among the Li only married women could have their hands tattooed, it was not appropriate for single women to wear them.Li tattoos differed greatly among the different Li tribes, and could be easily used to differentiate between a woman of one tribe and another.

During the 1930's a German ethnologist Hans Stubel studied the Li people, and wrote extensively of their tattooing practices. It is mostly from his work that our understandings of their tattooing customs come from. During his day few still wore facial tattoos, tattooing was primarily of the arms and legs. Today hardly anyone in Hainan sports the traditional tattoos of the Li people save a few elderly women.