Thats it…after a whole two years worth of thinking. Paper is getting a Tattoo.
Paper running over and over the advantage and disadvantage of having a tattoo has now come to an end. Decision is made and will be scheduled for the end of the year…a new year a new beginning . Now the length of time between now and then is rather long…, but mainly because Paper want to be sure of the exact design. When is comes to design.., Paper is rather sticky in this matters especially something permanent as this.
a brief history of tattoos
the word tattoo is said to has two major derivations- from the polynesian word ‘ta’ which means striking something and the tahitian word ‘tatau’ which means ‘to mark something’. the history of tattoo began over 5000 years ago and is as diverse as the people who wear them.
tattoos are created by inserting colored materials beneath the skins surface. the first tattoos probably were created by accident. someone had a small wound, and rubbed it with a hand that was dirty with soot and ashes from the fire. once the wound had healed, they saw that a mark stayed permanently.
Despite the social sciences’ growing fascination with tattooing, and the immense popularity of tattoos themselves, the practice has not left much of a historical record.
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Egypt
written records, physical remains, and works of art relevant to egyptian tattoo have virtually been ignored by earlier egyptologists influenced by prevailing social attitudes toward the medium.
Today however, we know that there have been bodies recovered dating to as early XI dynasty exhibiting the art form of tattoo. In 1891, archaeologists discovered the mummified remains of amunet, a priestess of the goddess hathor, at thebes who lived some time between 2160 BC and 1994 BC. This female mummy displayed several lines and dots tattooed about her body – grouping dots and/or dashes were aligned into abstract geometric patterns. this art form was restricted to women only, and usually these women were associated with ritualistic practice. The egyptians spread the practice of tattooing throughout the world. The pyramid-building third and fourth dynasties of egypt developed international nations with crete, greece, persia, and arabia. by 2,000 BC the art of tattooing had stretched out all the way to southeast asia . the ainu (western asian nomads) then brought it with them as they moved to japan.
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Japan
the earliest evidence of tattooing in japan is found in the form of clay figurines which have faces painted or engraved to represent tattoo marks. the oldest figurines of this kind have been recovered from tombs dated 3,000 BC or older, and many other such figurines have been found in tombs dating from the second and third millennia BC. These figurines served as stand-ins for living individuals who symbolically accompanied the dead on their journey into the unknown, and it is believed that the tattoo marks had religious or magical significance.
The first written record of japanese tattooing is found in a chinese dynastic history compiled in 297 AD. the japanese were interested in the art mostly for its decorative attributes, as opposed to magical ones. the horis – the japanese tattoo artists – were the undisputed masters. their use of colors, perspective, and imaginative designs gave the practice a whole new angle. the classic japanese tattoo, is a full body suit.
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New Zealand
the maori of new zealand had created one of the most impressive cultures of all polynesia. their tattoo, called ‘moko’, reflected their refined artistry – using their woodcarving skills to carve skin. the full-face moko was a mark of distinction, which communicated their status, lines of descent and tribal affiliations. it recalled their wearer’s exploits in war and other great events of their life.
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Indonesia
borneo is one of the few places in the world where traditional tribal tattooing is still practiced today just as it has been for thousands of years. until recently many of the inland tribes had little contact with the outside world. as a result, they have preserved many aspects of their traditional way of life, including tattooing. borneo designs have gone all around the world to form the basis of what the western people call ‘tribal’.
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Ancient Greece and Rome
the greeks learnt tattooing from the persians. their woman were fascinated by the idea of tattoos as exotic beauty marks. the romans adopted tattooing from the greeks. roman writers such as virgil, seneca, and galenus reported that many slaves and criminals were tattooed. a legal inscription from ephesus indicates that during the early roman empire all slaves exported to asia were tattooed with the words ‘tax paid’. greeks and romans also used tattooing as a punishment. early in the fourth century, when constantine became roman emperor and rescinded the prohibition on christianity, he also banned tattooing on face, which was common for convicts, soldiers, and gladiators. constantine believed that the human face was a representation of the image of god and should not be disfigured or defiled.
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The Celts
were a tribal people who moved across western europe in times around 1200 and 700 B.C. they reached the british Isles around 400 B.C. and most of what has survived from their culture is in the areas now known as ireland, wales and scotland. celtic culture was full of body art. permanent body painting was done with woad, which left a blue design on the skin. spirals are very common, and they can be single, doubled or tripled. knotwork is probably the most recognized form of celtic art, with lines forming complex braids which then weave across themselves. these symbolise the connection of all life. step or key patterns, like those found in early labyrinth designs, are seen both in simple borders and full complex mazes. much in the way that labyrinths are walked, these designs are symbolic of the various paths that life’s journey can take.
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Central and South America
in peru, tattooed inca mummies dating to the 11th century have been found. 16th century spanish accounts of mayan tattooing in mexico and central america reveal tattoos to be a sign of courage. when cortez and his conquistadors arrived on the coast of mexico in 1519 they were horrified to discover that the natives not only worshipped devils in the form of statues and idols, but had somehow managed to imprint indelible images of these idols on their skin. the spaniards, who had never heard of tattooing, recognized it at once as the work of satan. the sixteenth century spanish historians who chronicled the adventures of cortez and his conquistadors reported that tattooing was widely practiced by the natives of central america.
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Middle-East
during the time of the old testament, much of the pagan world was practicing the art of tattooing as a means of deity worship. A passage in leviticus reads: ‘ye shall not make any cuttings on your flesh for the dead nor print any marks upon you’. (19:28) this has been cited as biblical authority to support the church’s position. biblical scholar m.w. thomson suggests, however, that moses favored tattoos. moses introduced tattoos as a way to commemorate the deliverance of the jews from slavery in egypt.
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Paper main priority for the coming break is to TAKE a break….and to enjoy the company. Whilst writing this a personal invitation from the Thai Embassy came, and of all the days why must it be on the day Paper is not in town! It would so nice to attend such a gala as this would be Papers first foray into a prestigious government – royal function.
A challenge it is….starting from 9th Oct 2009 Paper is now setting out on a new venture. Paper is going to start in a new media company handling 3 leading magazines.
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