Seven Castles

Tattoo

                                      

September 12, 2006

 

A tattoo ("wenshen" or "cishen" in Chinese, literally meaning "puncture the body") is a design or marking made by the insertion of a pigment into punctures or cuts in the skin as a type of body modification.

 

The record of human history shows that tattoos have served in many various and diverse cultures as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love, punishment, amulets and talisman, protection and as the marks of outcasts and convicts.

 

Tattoo has been known and practiced in China for many years. But it was never considered to be something artistic, desirable, or even acceptable. A commonly held notion is that one's body is a precious gift from the parents and therefore should never be abused or defaced by a tattoo.

 

Centuries ago, when a court found a person guilty of a severe crime, it might order a tattoo be placed on his face, and banished him to a far-way place for a number of years. The tattoo on the face permanently marked the person as a criminal.

 

Yue Fei was a famous general in the South Song Dynasty. When he served under a Marshal fighting against the enemy from the North, the Marshal went over to the enemy. Disgusted, Yue resigned and returned home to care for his mother. His mother was displeased, and lectured him that a soldier's first duty is loyalty to his country. To be sure that the admonition would never be forgotten, she tattooed the words with her sewing needle on his back, reminding him to "repay his country with pure loyalty"! Yue went back and led another army to defend the country.

 

In some cultures, tattoos have negative associations, generally associated with criminality in the public's mind, as tattoo was more likely to be used by members of the underground criminal society than ordinary citizens.

 

However, tattoos have become popular in recent decades in many parts of the world, particularly in North America, Japan, and Europe. The growth in tattoo culture has seen an influx of new artists into the industry, many of whom have technical and fine art training. Coupled with advancements in tattoo pigments and the ongoing refinement of the equipment used for tattooing, this has led to an improvement in the quality of tattoos being produced. Movie stars, models, popular musicians and sports figures are just some of the people in the public eye who are tattooed, which in turn has fueled the acceptance of tattoos. Even mainstream art galleries hold exhibitions of tattoo designs and photographs of tattoos. In big cities like Shanghai, people cannot help noticing that tattoo has become a fashion accessory.

 

The most common method of tattooing in modern times is the electric tattoo machine. Ink is inserted into the skin via a group of needles that are soldered onto a bar, which is attached to an oscillating unit. The unit rapidly and repeatedly drives the needles in and out of the skin, usually 50 to 3,000 times a minute.

 

It can be difficult enough making a decision to get a tattoo or body piercing let alone choosing whom to do it. Trust and empathy towards the tattooist are essential. You need to feel safe and comfortable with your tattooist, not just that they are qualified to do the job properly but also that their standards of hygiene are impeccable.

 

【作者: zhangliping】【访问统计:】【2006年09月12日 星期二 05:52】【 加入博采】【打印】