Tattoo History

Ainu

The Ainu (pronounced "eye-nu") 

"Ainu" means "human." The Ainu people regard things useful to them or beyond their control as "kamuy"(gods). In daily life, they prayed to and performed various ceremonies for the gods. These gods include : "nature" gods, such as of fire, water, wind and thunder ; "animal" gods, such as of bears, foxes, spotted owls and gram-puses ; "plant" gods, such as of aconite, mush-room and mugwort ; "object" gods, such as of boats and pots ; and gods which protect houses, gods of mountains and gods of lakes. The word "Ainu" refers to the opposite of these gods.

The Ainu, along with the Okinawa-based Ryukyu, are an indigenous population of Japan. Ainu lived
in Hokkaido, the Kurile Islands and Sakhalin, but now largely live in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island. As of the last census Ainu populations in Hokkaido were roughly 23,000 people.

In traditional Ainu culture when a woman begins to come of age at 12-13 she begins a heavy tattooing process of her lips, legs, hands and arms. When this process has been completed somewhere around the age of 15-16 she is considered ready for marriage. Ainu culture held tattooed women to be beautiful. As Helena Burton notes on the meanings of the tattoos:

Sumi

Sumi (墨) is Japanese for black ink. Although there are many different kinds of sumi, only a few are suitable for tatooing. The sumi made by Kobaien in Nara City is considered the highest quality and commands a high price. Sakurazumi (桜墨　"Cherry Blossom Ink"), baikaboku (梅花墨　"Plum Flower Ink") and itsutsuboshi (五つ星 "Five Stars") are the makes of Kobaien sumi that are most commonly used for tebori tattooing. Kobaien sumi is made by collecting the soot from burning pure vegetable oil—usually sesame or pauwlonia—and combining this with a glue derived from vegetable starch. This is shaped into sticks and dried. When needed, the tattoo artist grinds the stick in a slate inkwell called a suzuri until the correct consistency is achieved.

Hokusai

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was born in Edo (now Tokyo). A prolific artist, he painted, designed prints, illustrated books and is one of the masters of the Japanese Print (Ukiyo-E).

His work is a major influence on nearly all of Japan's traditional tattoo movement with many of his stylistic interpretations instantly recognizable.

He was one of the first major Japanese artists to break away from urban scenes and produce landscapes, and in keeping with his unorthodoxy he turned to the west for influence. He was an admirer of the French painter Manet and they enjoyed a relationship of mutual learning with each other, Hokusai teaching Manet by example and Manet sending blue inks that were not available in Japan in return (see "Beneath the wave off Kanagawa," below).

Hokusai's most famous work "Beneath the wave off Kanagawa" showing what was to become "typical" Japanese tattoo style water. This is also the blue ink that was sent to him by Manet.



                                                   Tattoo literally based on Hokusai's work