African Tattoo Ideas
Tattoos are a very personal way of expressing yourself through permanent artwork on your body. Because the art will stay with you for a lifetime, pick a pattern that is significant to you or represents where you come from. African culture offers many tattoo designs that are both beautiful and meaningful.
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Adinkra Symbols
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Adinkra symbols come from the West African country of Ghana. The thick black lines and simple design patterns make adinkra symbols perfect for tattooing. Much like the popular Chinese kanji symbols, adinkra symbols have a deeper meaning behind the designs. Symbols include the Ananse Ntonta, or "spider web," a sun-like design that represents wisdom and creativity. The Me Ware Wo is a symbol with linked circles that represents commitment and perseverance. The Adinkrahene is the "chief of adinkra symbols" that looks very similar to a bull's-eye and represents greatness and leadership.
Tribal
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An example of an African tribal tattoo design. Tattooing was a part of traditional African tribal society. African tribes practiced a style of tattooing known as scarification, which involved rubbing charcoal into cuts that were made in a design on the person's body. When the cuts healed, they would scar and the skin would be raised, creating a tattoo. While few people would be interested in traditional African tribal scarification, the designs can be adapted to modern tattooing techniques. Tribal symbols consist of thick, black lines in curved or geometric patterns. While the authenticity of any tribal design is difficult to verify, there are many designs that are reminiscent of tribal culture.
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Portraits or Wildlife
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A portrait tattoo gives a clear representation of Africa. African tribes people, such as the Maasai, are iconic and beautiful, while realistic portraits of native African wildlife such as elephants, zebra or giraffes are also excellent choices. Remember to choose your tattoo artist carefully. Look for someone with several years of experience in tattooing portraits, which are often one of the most intricate types of tattoos to do.
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- Photo Credit africa image by Luka76 from Fotolia.com Tattoo image by Kai Rollmann from Fotolia.com
