Tattoo History

by Tatu

Civilizations since the dawn of time are represented with man marking the body.  Japanese Tattooing is a beautiful art form. The Polynesians, the Maori, numerous tribes of Africa, all had their styles of injecting or carving into the skin colorful designs rich with tribal meaning.

The Japanese over time elevated this practice to a true art form. The word "irezumi" was originally used by the during the Edo period (1603-1868) in Japan when used to mark prisoners as a means of punishment, but today simply means "tattoo" and is the .

Flowing from the woodblock art of the "floating world" large to full body tattooing developed as a distinct art form known as "horimono"  (horu = engrave or carve + mono = person or thing), which was done by engraving the ink into the skin with hand held needles, a process known as "tebori".

For excellent reading on the history of tattooing in Japan, we recommend:

Japanese Tattooing from the Past to the Present

by Mieko Yamada

Oriental Irezumi and Occidental Tattooing In Contemporary Japan

by Helena Burton, Oxford University

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