Tribal Body Tattoo

Tribal Body Tattoo

Cross Tattoos - Christian, Celtic, Tribal, and More Cross Tattoo Designs :

Cross tattoo has been around for years and has never lost its appeal even up to the present day. The reason being is its universal meaning plus the powerful significance it can convey. It generally is a representation of one's spiritual beliefs and faith.

Aside from being a religious symbol, it is also use as in loving memory tattoo, also known as RIP tattoo. Sometimes, symbols like heart, banner and flowers are combined along with the name of the dead person and the death date. The cross is tattooed as a memory of a loved one who passed away as if serving as a gravestone on one's body.

This type of body art comes in many forms. It was a favorite among the old school type of tattoos patronized by bikers, seaman and merchants. It can be seen combined with other elements such as skull, star, flames, dagger, rose, heart and banner.

Celtic cross is another popular cross tat design which is a representation of Irish, Scottish or Welsh heritage. It is easily identifiable as it is interwoven with Celtic knot which is a symbol of the never ending cycle of life. Some tat enthusiasts also choose to incorporate tribal art into their tattoo design while some choose the Gothic style of cross tat.

The Christian cross tattoo is the most popular form that is meant to symbolize one's faith in God. It can be in the form of Latin cross (simple cross) or in the form of crucifix bearing Christ's image while he was being crucified. It can also be combined with other religious images such as the angel, the rosary, image of Mary and Jesus Christ.

The symbol of cross as a tat image is usually inked small, perhaps to retain the sincerity of their symbolism. It is usually seen on small parts of the body such as the ankle, foot, wrist, upper back and arm. Cross tattoo, with its wide appeal and holy implications will always remain as a tat image that will be around for more years to come.

libra tribal tattoo

libra tribal tattoo

Sleeve Tattoo Designs - Dragon, Tribal, Celtic, and Japanese Tattoos on Your Arms

Dragons are a symbol of wild fire and excitement. A dragon interwoven into a sleeve tattoo can add red color and flare. Fire breathing from the dragon, circling the arm can really add an amazing effect to any tattoo.

Anthony's Tribal Tattoo, Inspired by Fiji

Last month I ran into Anthony in Penn Station with this interesting, yet unfinished, tattoo on his left arm:

A visitor from England, Anthony let me take the photo, but he was in a bit of a rush, so I didn't get too much information from him, other than this was a Polynesian-themed design, inspired by a trip he took to Fiji.

He credited Toni at Lycan Ink in Liverpool, England, with the work.

Thanks to Anthony for sharing with us here on Tattoosday.

Anthony's Dragon (and more!)

I spotted Anthony on the N train in Brooklyn and was happy to see him also switching for the local R train at 59th Street.

As luck would have it, both of us were headed home to Bay Ridge.

Anthony has a bunch of tattoos, and I snapped this photo of the dragon on his upper right arm:

It was inked by Joe at Brooklyn Ink.

He estimated that the work so far has been completed in about three two-hour sessions.

Work from Joe and other artists at Brooklyn Ink has previously appeared quite frequently on Tattoosday (all posts tagged as such here).

Anthony later emailed me photos of these shots as well:

The praying hands holding the rosary, I recall him telling me, were tattooed at Distinction Ink in Brooklyn. The tattoo reads "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned".

He did not tell me where he had this tribal sun done, but it's definitely an attention-grabbing piece and certainly worth a mention.

Thanks to Anthony for sharing his tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Tattoosday Goes To Hawai'i - All in the Family, Part 3 (Ikaika, In Progress)

Continuing with the mini-reunion, of sorts, with my family in Hawai'i, back in April, let's visit with my nephew Ikaika. If seeing my nephew Keali'i for the first time in 18 years was a trip, then talking to Ikaika was an all-out exercise in time travel, it seemed.

Ikaika, to my memory, was a toddler, barely a kid. Or, at least that's how I last remembered him. Now, he is an adult, and he remembered who I was, much to my amazement.

He shared his work in progress, a traditional-style Hawaiian pattern tribal sleeve, here:

This sleeve represents about twelve hours of work, all done by George "Keoki" Davis at HippoGrafix.

Ikaika also shared this hannya mask on the back of his calf, courtesy of "Tattoo Mike" Higuchi at Dark Side Tattoo in Honolulu:

Thanks to my nephew Ikaika for sharing his ink with us here on Tattoosday!

Previously in the Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - All in the Family series:

Part 1, A Preface
Part 2, Keali'i's Sleeves

Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i: Reston's Expansive Ink

I've alluded, in previous posts, to a trip to Ala Moana Center, during which I was astounded by the amount of tattoos I saw, much more than I recall seeing on my previous trip, five years ago.

I was in the expansive food court section of the complex when I met Reston and his uncle. I was first intrigued by the work on his left arm:

but then, in one of those rare Tattoosday moments in which I see much more than I anticipated, his uncle convinced Reston to show me his back, which revealed this wonderful work:

For Reston, his tattoos are tributes to his heritage. The large Buddha on his back acknowledges the Buddhist faith that can be found on his father's side of the family. The tiki and tribal patterns are in honor of his mother's Pacific Islander lineage. This is apparent from the merging of the two styles (and the names "mom" and "dad" at the top of his back:

In addition, Reston shared this cool lizard on his left shoulder:

Actually, in Hawaiian tattoo styles, this is referred to more specifically as a mo'o, which can be defined (source here) as a "spirit guardian (lizard) that protects a resource, such as a fishpond, from overuse and other abuse". Mo'o are also referred to as geckos.

There's a lot going on with Reston's personal canvas, but you can see the geographic shapes of the mo'o design jumping off the skin.

  All the work was done in California. The Buddha back piece was inked by Jon Highland, owner of 12 Monkeys Tattoo in Tracy, California. The majority of the tribal/Polynesian work was tattooed by Orly at Humble Beginnings Tattoo Studio in San Jose.

A hearty mahalo to Reston for being bold enough to remove his shirt in the Ala Moana food court so we could all get to better appreciate his ink. We here at Tattoosday thank you for your contributions to the site!