Looking for a bonsai tattoo from Japan? Find out how the unique art of bonsai has given birth to Japanese bonsai tattoos.
The Japanese culture is one of the most unique phenomenons in the world. It is a culture with a rich heritage full of art and a unique way of life. The westerners in particular have been very intrigued and fascinated by the Japanese culture. Although there are numerous elements of the Japanese culture one of the things that has attracted the attention of the west is the art of bonsai.
Bonsai is an age old art form practiced in Japan and is a truly original product of the nation. Bonsai has also been used as inspiration for creating tattoo designs. The art of tattooing is known as Horimono and dates back to more than 5,000 years ago. History reveals that tattoos used to carry a deep spiritual meaning for the people of Japan. Irrespective of the origins of bonsai tattoos are something that are truly adored by many in the west.
The bonsai tree tattoos were popularized over time although in Japan the art of tattooing is still looked down upon by the conservative families. It was the woodcut designers that took to the art of tattooing as they exchanged their carving blades for tattoo needles and charcoal ink.
Many people in Japan continue to conceal their tattoos with clothing and keep them as a means of personal artistic expression without flaunting them around. The natural beauty of the Bonsai tattoos has attracted many people both from within and outside of Japan. The strikingly different thing with the bonsai tattoo is that this is one design that is openly flaunted in public much unlike the other tattoo designs.
The bonsai tattoo design is held in high esteem in Japanese culture. The natural beauty and the historical legacy of the art of bonsai lend the tattoo designs a certain sense of mystique. The Japanese library of bonsai designs is fairly extensive. Since this is an art form dealing with trees you will find designs of various species of plants.
The different species of plants are then incorporated in different styles of art and design. The range of styles that the Japanese tattoo artists use for bonsai designs is extremely diverse. In fact the meaning and symbolism of the Japanese bonsai tattoo changes according to the species which is used and the style in which it has been put forward.
Bonsai art is all about growing miniature trees. These trees can be grown indoors as well as outdoors as long as you use a separate container for each plant. Since the west is particularly intrigued by bonsai trees they see bonsai tattoos as a means of enjoying the Japanese influence. But unlike practicing bonsai art by itself getting a bonsai tattoo means that you are stuck with it for life. Whereas you can stop practicing bonsai art when you get bored of it you will have to live with the tattoo irrespective of your feelings towards it.
