Some of the most common symbols are the dragon, carp, geisha, samurai and cherry blossom, usually drawn with bold colors and incredible detail.
With a strongly related history local culture and beliefs, the oriental tattoo is very striking not only for its breathtaking look, but for all the history that it carries in its more than 3 thousand years of tradition.
In today's post we bring 40 amazing oriental tattoo ideas for men and women, in addition to explaining the origin and different meanings behind each of them.
About Style and Meanings
Originally the oriental tattoo was used as a social status symbol ou for spiritual purposes. They could, for example, show that a certain person was a slave and that another was someone from an important family.
Traditionally, the oriental tattoo was a means of transmitting social status and served as a spiritual symbol, a kind of protection amulet.
In a more specific way, it can be said that the oriental tattoo was divided into two nomenclatures: Horimono e Irezumi. The first was a warrior status symbol, evidencing the fighting skills of samurai who sported finely ornamented and representative designs. However, the shoguns of the Edo period associated the Horimono tattoo with the stigma of criminality, since the tattoo replaced the cutting of facial cartilage – nose and ear – as a mark of condemnation.
Due to this new punitive use of tattooing, her name was changed to Irezumi, which translates to "tattoo as punishment". In this way, the tattoo functioned as a proof of resistance against established laws in certain clandestine circles. A classic example of this are the tattoos sported by members of the Yakuza, the famous Japanese mafia known for its strict code of posture and honor.
In 1872 tattoos were banned in Japan and were only allowed by law again in 1948. During that period tattoos were done clandestinely, but still had many fans.
Oriental tattooing became popular in the West after World War II with the American occupation of Japan. Americans were delighted with the traditional Japanese method of tattooing, known as Tebori, an artisanal method that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century and means “sculpting with the hands”.
Tebori is a manual technique that requires a lot of skill and patience. Instead of the conventional machine, the tattoo is performed with bamboo, wooden or ivory rods.
With a vast symbology, the oriental tattoo style has some elements that are strongly related to the ancient local culture and have very interesting meanings. Some of them are the cerejeira flower, as hannya masks, the dragon eo tiger. Each of them has a specific meaning, but are often embraced for their amazing aesthetics.
the meaning of Cherry Blossom is linked to the beauty that the Japanese see in the fall of its petals, being a way of representing life that blooms and falls with the passage of time. The hannya masks are based on a popular eastern legend and have the popular meaning of luck, in addition to representing the various human emotions, such as anger, sadness and indecision.
Os animals they are also often depicted in the oriental style of tattooing. Each has its own meaning and must be evaluated by the person before the tattoo is carried out.
Enquanto or tiger is related to strength, power, courage and ferocity; the dragon is related to a noble animal that represents wisdom, good luck and goodwill.
There are many other popular elements in the oriental style whose meanings will be presented later as we show amazing examples of their application.
Before getting an oriental tattoo, it is highly recommended that you research the meaning of what you want to tattoo, because in this way, in addition to a stunning look, your tattoo will have a meaning consistent with your personality and will be a reflection of who you are.
oriental tattoo designs
Oriental tattooing is a style that looks good on both men and women. The high degree of detail usually demands a large area of the body for the tattoo, with the arm, leg and back being the most common options.
Designs will almost always be based on characteristic elements of eastern culture such as the tiger, geisha, dragon, samurai and carp. You can talk to your tattoo artist and he will create one custom design that contains more than one symbol in the same tattoo, that way it will be even more visually complete and will have a meaning closer to your personality.
Men's Oriental Tattoo Pictures and Ideas
There are people who choose to fill in a certain area of the body with the union of several tattoos done separately and others who prefer tattoo everything at once with a single design.
If the second option appeals to you, the oriental tattoo can be a great idea. Through it, it is possible to large designs with a unique look that no other tattoo style could provide.
Geisha
The word Geisha means “person of the arts” and is associated with the women of the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries who were hired to entertain men with dancing, serving tea and singing.
Symbol of beauty, delicacy and education, they represent the strength and intelligence of women. They are usually large tattoos, rich in details, colors and shading, often requiring more than one session to complete.
Samurai
Samurai were strong and honorable warriors from Japan who lived under strict discipline, were example of loyalty and skill with swords.
When someone gets a samurai tattoo, they are trying to capture the values and pride that this figure represents. In addition, this tattoo also means that the person wants always remember the fundamental commandments of the samurai, always carrying them with you and living accordingly.
Dragon
Unlike the West, Eastern culture sees the dragon as a benevolent animal that uses its strength to do good for humanity.. Therefore, he is a representation of wisdom, strength for good and good luck. In addition, it is also very much associated with freedom, as it is a free creature to roam anywhere it wants.
Tent
This is a very popular tattoo in western culture. In eastern legend, the carp was supposed to swim against a large river at spawning time. Upon reaching its destination, it would turn into a dragon. The tattoo symbolizes determination, success, courage and the desire to succeed.
On the arm
The arm is one of the most common areas for an oriental style tattoo. usually she is large and has vibrant colors, which may occupy the entire length of the arm, only the forearm or only the upper part of the arm.
Closed arm
If you are going to close your arm with an oriental tattoo, you can include several symbols characteristic of the style to compose a tattoo even more striking.
Forearm
To tattoo the forearm, you can opt for a design that covers only the inner part or for a more extensive one, which gives a complete turn on the forearm configuring a single design.
Na Perna
The leg is a great location for an oriental tattoo because of its vertical extension, which makes it possible to making large and colorful tattoos. The drawing can cover the whole leg or just the shin, as is quite common in the west.
On the back
The back has been a very popular location in oriental tattooing since its inception. It is quite common that this tattoo ccover the entire back region, which results in amazing drawings with a very advanced level of detail.
Shaded
Shading is a fantastic technique in tattooing and the oriental style could not be different. By replacing bold colors with Grey, the shading makes the tattoo more realistic e shocking.
Women's Oriental Tattoo Photos and Ideas
Some oriental tattoos have everything to do with the female audience, such as the geisha, dragon, carp and cherry blossom. As with men, the back and arms are areas most often used by women when it comes to getting an oriental tattoo.
Geisha
The geisha tattoo has everything to do with the female audience, as it symbolizes the strength and intelligence of the women. Use Vivid colors like red to highlight the striking features of the tattoo is a great idea. The most common places on the body for its realization are the arm and the leg, but specifically the thigh.
Dragon
The dragon is a universally known creature, but it can have different meanings according to each culture around the world. For Orientals, he is a representation of wisdom, strength for good and good luck.
Tent
The carp tattoo can be done in different places on the body and in different sizes. You can incorporate the carp with other characteristic elements of oriental culture like the lotus flower and the cherry tree. If you want a bigger tattoo, the back can be a great option; for a more delicate one, the rib is perhaps the ideal place.
On the arm
The arm is a very malleable area of the body when it comes to tattooing. For the oriental style, it is common to carry out tattoos that cover a large part of the arm or the entire arm. Using bright colors can work great for women, but shading is also quite feasible.
On the back
The back will always be the best place to large complex tattoos. They are a very popular area for the oriental style, as they allow even more striking tattoos to be carried out. For the tattoo to have even more impact, the use of colors it is fundamental.
The millennial tradition of oriental tattooing makes it possible to carry out tattoos for all tastes and sizes. The ideal is that Before getting a tattoo, look for a professional who specializes in the style., so your look will be even more charming. For more tattoo ideas, visit our Piercing and Tattoo section.
