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Sarika Mehta

An ancient art comes alive as a hip fashion accessory today. With varied patterns on offer and a big market to explore, tattoos are indeed making a mark!

Some years ago, it was a symbol of individuality, or perhaps even attention-seeking gimmickry. Today, however, the tattoo has transcended boundaries in the globalised world. What the youth flaunt today as a fashion accessory has strong cultural roots the world over, including India.

Tattooing is an ancient art, where coloured substances or dyes are inserted into holes pierced in the skin. The tattooing and body piercing techniques have remained unchanged down the ages.

A culture symbol

Egyptians, between 4000 and 2000 B.C., identified tattooing with fertility and nobility. Since the 5th century B.C., the Japanese have used tattooing for ornamental, cosmetic and religious purposes, and also to identify and punish criminals. But it was only in the 17th and 18th centuries that European sailors had their first brush with tattoos. Travelling through the Polynesian islands they saw both men and women sporting extensive tattoos. . In the late-19th century, it was considered fashionable among the royalty in England and other European countries to wear tattoos. Lady Randolph Churchill (Winston Churchill's mother) had a snake tattooed around her wrist.

In India too tattooing is common among the adivasis of Madhya Pradesh. For them, tattoos hold social importance, are symbols of group loyalties, and give them a sense of social security.

Tattoo's cool

Today, tattoos are a by-product of the `music video culture' and a symbol of the youth's `cool' attitude. "It's everywhere... in music videos, film songs and fashion-show ramps," says Stephen, a college student.

This trend has helped create a market for tattoo artists. Tattoo parlours in Mumbai are slowly seeing an increase in the number of customers. "We have done over 350 permanent tattoos since we launched our parlour in April 2004," says Smita Sinha of Funky Monkey Tattoo and Design Studio in Bandra.

The very fact that Funky Monkey opened in Mumbai, after tasting success in New Delhi, is proof of the growing market. "We use the best of equipment along with sterilised, disposable needles and safe dyes," says Smita. This assumes significance due to the looming threat of HIV and Hepatitis B infection.

However, there is a dearth of trained talent in India. During its launch, Funky Monkey hired artists from Thailand. Ronni Froberg, a professionally trained tattoo artist from Denmark, is currently the sole tattoo artist at Funky Monkey, Mumbai. "Tattoos are definitely not a fashion statement, since the ones we do are permanent. It is a personal expression and you have to be very comfortable with it since you have to live with it," says Froberg, who has been in the business for five years. Though it is possible to remove tattoos, the process is more expensive than creating one.

This is where temporary tattoos are popular. They offer the advantages of change and variety. Women sport tattoos of all shapes and sizes, hues and colours. "I sport tattoos that match my outfit," says Pooja, a college student. Swarovski even launched crystal-studded, readymade tattoos. These are temporary and last only five days — long enough to beat boredom. Trained tattoo artists offer intricate patterns in different sizes. Religious symbols — `Om' or the trident, which depicts Lord Shiva — and tribal designs are the most sought after. The cost of crystal tattoos depends on the pattern and the number of crystals used. However, these are high-end tattoos beyond the common man's reach. Smita says that at Funky monkey, a basic black tattoo costs Rs 2,000, while a basic coloured one costs Rs 2,500. "The cost depends on the design. An elaborate one would require two or three sittings," she adds.

Tattoo styles are broadly classified into:

Celtic: Known for its complex and beautiful knot-works (intricate weavings of a single line), the common themes include mythological characters, people, knots and scrolls.

Traditional: Also referred to as `sailor' style, it was popular in the 1940s and 1950s and uses few details. Typical ones would be flowers, mermaids, birds etc.

Oriental: The traditional Japanese tattoos cover a very large area on the body and should be carefully planned and custom-made.

Black and Grey: Also referred to as `Joint Style' or `Jailhouse', it uses only shades of black and grey, creating an effect similar to a black and white photograph.

Gangster/Biker Prison: Gangsters use these as `membership badges'.

Tribal: The designs are traditional and often black in colour, abstract and with bold silhouettes.

Picture by Sandeep Saxena

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