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Japanese Tattoo Art
The most widely spread version says that tattoo was adopted in Japan from China in V BC. In China it has been used since XI BC. In III AC Chinese
travellers mentioned that noble people in Japan used facial tattoos. However, archaeologists believe that the early settlers of Japan, the Ainu people, who live din the country from 7000 to 250 BC used tattoos. The Japanese are sure that the mythical governor of Japan Jimmu (660-585 BC) had beautiful tattoos and they were the topic of poems made by the queen Senoyatatara.
Japanese tattoos can be divided into two classes: irezumi and gaman. Irezumi has been generally used on wrongdoers, meaning "to put ink into the skin". Gaman means patience and self-control. A separate kind of tattoo is kakusi-boro – women tattoos made by rubbing rice powder in the skin. This tattoo can be seen as a white picture when a woman is excited or after having a bath.
The main motives of Japanese tattoo were connected with legends about the sea, and the main heroes were carp, dragons and Samurais.
Japanese tattoo art has undergone through many difficulties and often was very fashionable. Tattoo was the most popular during the period of Edo and its collapse took place in 1868, after Meizi banned it. The illustrations of ancient Japanese poems confirm that tattoo in Japan was considered as a feature of privileged class. Till the beginning of XVII tattooing in Japan was not of great artistic value, and Japanese tattooists chose simple motives.
In XVII tattoo became a separate kind of arts.
In due course tattoo became fashionable among some groups. At the beginning of XIX in Edo (Tokyo) almost every labourer had a tattoo.
That time tattoo became extremely popular among firemen. They were working without clothes, and thus all the body, except for face, hands and feet, was tattooed. It was like working clothes indeed. Fishermen pictured fish on their bodies, prostitutes – crabs (tenacity symbol), gamblers had tattoos with playing cards or dice. Tattoos helped geishas to avoid the ban on naked body demonstration. It often happened so that a geisha and her partner fell in love and in this case they made tattoos together. For example, they made a picture of birthmark on the palms so that their thumbs covered the tattoo when palms of the two lovers were together. Names of beloved were also tattooed together with inoti – the destiny. This symbolises everlasting love.
Tattoo popularity in Japan increased thanks to famous actors as they considered tattoo to be a means of expressiveness on the stage. At the end of XVIII one of the most beautiful tattoo belonged to the actor Nakamura Utaemon IV. XVIII - XIX centuries were the successful period of Japanese tattoo – they got a philosophical meaning as well as esthetical value.
Japanese tattoo art was greatly affected by ukiyo-e - the floating world culture. Dragon and carp were the most required motives of tattoo. When tattoo became a kind of arts, Japanese masters got great popularity. They were named “hori”, “horimono” being exact synonym of “tattoo”. The famous tattooists of the Edo period are still remembered, such as Karakusa Gonta, Darumakin, Horiuno, Ichimatsu, Chiyaribun, Iso, Horitsun, Kane and Hori-ichi. Even now the experts in hori-mono refuse to use electronic machine for tattooing.
The most obvious feature of Japanese tattoo is its amplitude. Tattoo may be made in the course of several years and may have a shape of a kimono or a coat. Such a tattoo covers almost the whole trunk and even hands and thighs.
The main features of Japanese tattoos:
- skewness;
- distinct role of leading motives;
- repetition of minor motives;
- minor motives have geometrical shapes, while leading motives are figured;
- most motives are decorated;
- infill with colours;
- diversity of colours;
- use of human body’s plastic – muscles make tattoos play;
- nipples and navel used as a part of the tattoo plot;
- some compositions are dynamic, some are interpreted static;
- most plots are developed before tattooing or are copied (though now client may develop its own tattoo);
- composition is amplified with geometric figures or inscriptions.
Japanese tattoo has several motives that can be divided into four groups: flora, fauna, religious and mythological motives:
Chrysanthemum, some time ago it was the attribute of Mikado, later – the symbol of persistence and resolution.
Peony – the symbol of success and wealth.
Sakura flowers – they fall off the tree, submissively – the way Samurai dies for his Master. Sakura flowers are the symbol of time and fragility of being.
Maple leaf – it has the same meaning as a red rose in Europe.
Dragon symbolises power and rule and unites fire and water.
Carp is associated with courage and stoicism.
Tiger is the symbol of fearlessness.
Sea motives have a special place in Japanese tattoo and it can be explained easily: the life of the Japanese is associated with the sea. Very often waves are the background of the tattoo and may dictates the style. In addition, Japanese tattoo has such heroes as those of legends, saints, samurais, geishas, actors etc.
It is very important that portraits are never made in front – they are always turned at an angle of three fourth. Many motives of Japanese tattoo are of Chinese origin, such as tiger, dragon, chrysanthemum and peony.
Tattooists use bamboo sticks with needles at the end. One-four needles are needed for a picture drawing, thirty needles – for making a tattoo colourful. These needles are named hari. Traditional Japanese tattoo is executed in five steps:
The first step (suzi) – the outline is inked.
The second step includes outlining and fixing the shape of the tattoo by one – four needles with black ink.
The third step is based on skin pricking with many needles – this allows to reach the desired composition of colour and tone.
The fourth step (tsuki-hari) consists of skin-deep pricking using not many needles without shading. Needles are pricked by light blows of palms.
The fifth step, the most painful and technically complicated, includes deep pricking that is totally controlled by tattoist.
Japanese tattooists use mainly black and red pigments, bronzed colour is used not very often, green and yellow pigments – rarely. After every procedure of tattooing a client has to take a bath – it makes a person feel better, and a tattoo looks showy. Alcohol is forbidden after making a tattoo – it may poison a person badly in this situation.
Currently tattoo art has a negative connotation for the majority of the Japanese people. In the eyes of average Japanese a tattoo is considered a mark of a yakuza - a member of the Japanese mafia - or a macho symbol of members of the lower classes. People with tattoos are likely to be stigmatized and regarded as misfits in Japanese society. For example, from the very moment of getting a tattoo a representative of yakuza can’t marry a woman from a “good” family and be employed by a company not connected with the criminal world. Mostly often yakuza members prefer the compositions associated with icons of the Hana-funa cards – the favourite game of the group. This game’s motives are mostly often connected with cherry flowers and maple leaves painted in red and black. Other compositions used by yakuza include such Buddha heroes as Nio Fudo – the guardian of the criminal world. At the same time yakuza members avoid tattooing the images of goddesses – Kannon or Benten – as they do not represent strength, courage and cruelty. Goddesses’ images often are used in tattoo compositions of other social groups. |
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