TATTOOING

Hokitika Guardian, 19 May 1926, Page 1

TATTOOING

Why does the sailonnan often have himself tattooed? The operation may involve a good deal of pain. It identities him with certainty for all time which may not be an unmixed advantage. Whatever his motives may be, they are not those which, as Mr W. D. Hambey shows in ‘‘The History of Tattooing and its Significance,” prompt certain races to adorn themselves thus. The practice, in its three forms, tattooing proper, scarification, and painting, dates from remote times, and is very widely diffused. Julius Caesar mentions that the ancient Britons painted themselves, while to-day in all the continents, save Europe and in Oceana, tattooing is common. Some-

could receive--a first-class education times it is done for t-lie sake of decoration, sometimes it indicates status. Alore often it has religious or superstitious associations. The representation of an animal upon one’s body affords protection against that animal. Tattooing provides safety after death offers an escape from, the demons of sickness, and presents means of alluring good luck and avoiding the evil eye.

In technique, the Burmese, Japanese and Alarquesans excel all others. The Maori comes very near to their standaril, and in his own department of geometric designing he is supreme. His methods, however, are drastic, whereas not only does the Japanese work with extraordinary speed, but his touch is so delicate that it is unusual for blood to lie drawn. The classic example of the Burmese art is supplied by a Greek, who is said to have submitted to the operation for exhibition purposes. The whole of his body, save for tlie soles of his feet, was covered with devices, some of them miscroscopic, but all full of detail. There were 388 of these altogether, and they included sphinxes, salamanders, eagles, crocodiles, tigers, dragons, fishes, gazelles, storks, cats, women with dresses, fruit and flowers. The operators, the number of whom is unknown, worked on him fiours' hours a day for three months. When stripped, the man had the appearance of being clad in n lightly woven fabric of rich Turkish material. It was only after the closest and most careful examination that, observers could convince themselves that there was no imposture.