From Taboo to Tattoos

The inking of tattoos on the body has been an ancient trend since many thousand years and with the passage of time, it has not only been made a vast field, but also has gained immense popularity among people around the globe. In ancient times, during the classic Greek period, tattooing was only common among slaves. In ancient China, tattoos had been associated with criminals and bandits since at least the Zhou Dynasty, Tattooing Chinese characters such as "Prisoner" on convicted criminals' or slaves' faces was practiced until the last dynasty, the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912). In ancient Japan,  between 1720 and 1870 criminals were tattooed as a visible mark of punishment; this actually replaced having ears and noses removed and these people had no place in "decent society" and were frowned upon. 

But later on, as time passed tattooing became a trade mark for fashion and style and Tattooist transformed into “Tattoo Artists”: men and women with fine art backgrounds began to enter the profession alongside the older, traditional tattooists. As various kinds of social movements progressed bodily inscription crossed class boundaries, and became common among the general public.  The  clientele changed from sailors, bikers, and gang members to the middle and upper class.

Women have always played a very important role in spreading the art of inking and adorning the body parts with various designs. From the ancient times to present day, Henna and Mehndi have been an important part of a woman’s embellishment in the subcontinent. The weddings and festivals are thought to be incomplete without this traditional, ancient tattooing technique. In the West however,  The earliest appearance of tattoos on women were in the circus in the late 1800s. At that time, these women were distinguished from others and were labeled as ‘’The Tattooed ladies’’. They had their face, neck, hands and feet covered with different carvings and often used to perform in theaters and circus.

In the present day world, the inking of body parts has become so common and is admired in almost every part of the world that it has become a style symbol, which inspires infinite number of people. Even in today’s world, however, there are some people who think that tattoos portray a sign of rebellious nature and attitude and take it as taboo thing, but people with optimistic, liberal thoughts believe that this is just a symbol of art and design.

Earlier, it was believed that tattoo causes hindrance in one’s professional life and that people with tattoos don’t get jobs and are considered merely bikers and non-serious vagabonds, but as the world changed and technology took over, with that the mentality of a common man also transformed and he began to develop the ability to absorb and accept the unusual things and behaviors of fellow human beings. Tattoos have travelled a long journey starting from a taboo thing in ancient past to being one of the most admired trends in the fashion world.