Posted by Omar on September 8, 2009

Asian Dragon Tattoos

Categories: Dragon Tattoos | no responses

Dragon Tattoo

Asian dragon tattoos encompass a huge variety of possible tattoo designs, meanings and interpretations. To begin with it is important to recognize what the dragon was in Asian culture, as opposed to the medieval and European culture that most are familiar with. In medieval lore, the dragon was a feared beast, and the enemy of humans. Those who defeated or valiantly died in an attempt to slay a dragon were heroes, whereas the dragons themselves were villains and beasts of destruction and death.

In Asian culture, the dragon was a benevolent creature filled with power and wisdom. They were good luck and represented many different traits that are highly sought after, such as inner strength, completeness, beauty, intelligence. Different dragons represented different specific things, either parts of the universe and realms such as the earth and sky or particular traits such as strength or knowledge.

Therefore, getting an Asian dragon tattoo is a way to reflect what the various Asian dragons are. Asian dragon tattoos cover a broad spectrum of meanings such as those listed above and an individual seeking out Asian dragon tattoos should properly research all of the detailed meanings of the various dragons to see what best applies to them and what they want to represent or show to the world.

Asian dragon tattoos are also designed differently from other dragon tattoos. Here are some key design elements that are common amongst the groups of Asian dragon tattoos:

Colors

Asian dragon tattoos are filled with bright colors; just imagine a Chinese New Years celebration or parade and the striking dragons. The most common colors are red, green and yellow; while gold, purple and many other colors come into play.

Body design

Asian dragon tattoos typically do not have any wings. Dragons in Asian culture were magical and did not rely on wings in order to fly. Their bodies are much more snake-like in appearance. Some Asian dragon tattoos depict the creature flowing around a person’s arm or leg, or sprawled across a person’s back. Additionally, different body positions and directions could be interpreted to mean different things.

Facial features

The facial features of an Asian dragon are very diverse. These creatures typically had long, hanging whiskers that you might associate with a catfish. The ears are reminiscent of a cow while the eyes are fierce and locked in. The face of an Asian dragon tattoo is highly detailed and incorporates aspects of many different animals and creatures.

Two of the most common forms of Asian dragon tattoos are the Chinese dragon tattoos and the Japanese dragon tattoos. Chinese dragon tattoos can consist of any of the 9 types of dragons in Chinese culture. These dragons represented different traits and controlled different things, while being varied in design with different colors and traits. Japanese dragon tattoos also meant a variety of different things, including being looked at as bestowing guardianship, being fearless and representing freedom. There are 6 different forms of Japanese dragon tattoos which are diverse in size, shape, color and design.

Among this multitude of variations it is always important to study up before getting any of the Asian dragon tattoos to find what suits you best and what the specific styles and types mean.

Article Image by dr. huxtable via Flickr