What is 'tattoo' ?
Tattooing is widely known as an decorative act of permanently marking a pattern or design into the skin using special tools and pigments. Originated from a Polynesian word "tatau", or "tatu", today's modern word of "Tattoo" is historically derived from the sound that is made by the tools that used to mark the skin. With a history of 5000 years, tattoo is not only just a way for people to creatively express themselves but it also possesses different meanings throughout the time.The creation and development of tattoo have gone through many ups and downs in its 5000-year existence in the Earth. As discovered by the scientists in 1991, tattoo used to be a medical treatment to reduce the pain a very long time ago, as found in Otzi’s body – the famous Iceman. Also, the same author stated that in Borneo’s beliefs, a tattoo of an eye in one’s palms will act as an spiritual guide to lead them into the next life. However, in other cultures especially the West, tattoos are used to be the taboos, that are only marked and seen on the criminals or the convicted. Yet, the negative attitudes towards tattoos now radically change over time, people are more opened and having an permanent mark on one’s skin is no longer hard to be found anymore.
Tattooing is widely known as an decorative act of permanently marking a pattern or design into the skin using special tools and pigments. Originated from a Polynesian word "tatau", or "tatu", today's modern word of "Tattoo" is historically derived from the sound that is made by the tools that used to mark the skin. With a history of 5000 years, tattoo is not only just a way for people to creatively express themselves but it also possesses different meanings throughout the time.The creation and development of tattoo have gone through many ups and downs in its 5000-year existence in the Earth. As discovered by the scientists in 1991, tattoo used to be a medical treatment to reduce the pain a very long time ago, as found in Otzi’s body – the famous Iceman. Also, the same author stated that in Borneo’s beliefs, a tattoo of an eye in one’s palms will act as an spiritual guide to lead them into the next life. However, in other cultures especially the West, tattoos are used to be the taboos, that are only marked and seen on the criminals or the convicted. Yet, the negative attitudes towards tattoos now radically change over time, people are more opened and having an permanent mark on one’s skin is no longer hard to be found anymore.
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Saigonese tattoos
Tattoos in every corners of Saigon.