Tattoos have been around for decades. People may think that it is only recently that tattooing came into existence but it is a centuries old practice. The preserved remains of the mummies excavated in the 18th century had shown signs of tattooing. The oldest tattoos found on mummies in Egypt maybe from 3017 BCE. This suggests that tattooing had significance throughout civilizations. The astounding fact that the art of tattooing lives on to this day marks its importance in history’s timeline.
The art of tattooing has picked on with the evolution of the 21st century and made incredible leaps when it came to diversity and accessibility. The ancient methods of tattooing differed immensely to the technologically advanced techniques of today’s ink machines. Back then, tattooing was a painful and gruesome process. Some indigenous tribes still practice those methods. These methods involved manual hammering of the skin-piercing tools.
Tattoos usually symbolize some sort of underlying meaning. A tattoo can also represent someone or something or be a memorabilia of some sort. Using our body as a canvas and tattooing our feelings is the gift of the 21st century. The age of enlightenment in the 18th and 19th centuries brought forward the ideas of logic and rationale. This proceeded to the second half of the 20th a century, which we call the age of today. An age in which contemporary art is the highest form of art. This form of art gives meanings, interpretations and stories to otherwise mundane objects. Something like a tooth tattoo can be an example of contemporary art.
Tooth Tattoo
We all know what a tooth is. However, the idea of someone getting a tooth tattooed on their body can seem absurd. In the light of contemporary art, the tooth tattoo can mean many things. Considering the types of teeth we have, e.g., incisors, premolars, molars, etc. each tooth has a different function. This means that each type of tooth can possess different meanings.
Often seen more as an option for men, these tattoos are actually not that popular among tattoo owners. Usually, you make this tattoo life-sized, exactly like a real tooth. You can use your imagination and be creative with it as well.
Many different meanings can arise from a tooth tattoo. In general, a tooth tattoo broadly displays someone with a strong and tough character. It dictates masculine traits, and so people with a strong and tough personality love this tattoo.
Symbolically Generic Meaning
Our teeth are the tools we use to bite and grind the food we eat. Also, we use the help of the teeth to break down the food that nourishes our body. This associates the idea of a tooth to nourishment and enrichment, not just of our body but also our soul. Therefore, a tooth tattoo can mean nourishment of the soul. Since a molar tooth does the grinding, this meaning is usually associated with a molar tooth tattoo.
A Threat or Warning
Ancient habitants of the Stone Age did not discover steel. Therefore, tooth was a replacement for steel in the Stone Age. It possessed the qualities of cold steel; it was lightweight, strong, and sharp. Tools made of steel were tools for hunting and killing. A fierce looking canine of a dog or lion can symbolically represent threat or fear for your enemies. Getting a tooth tattoo, especially a big canine, can mean fear and present you as a person with predatory instincts. It could symbolically mean that you are an opportunist who has predatory instincts to hunt down opportunities. This tattoo emphatically could mean that you are a threat to your competitors and would like to strike fear in their hearts.
Survival Instinct
A canine has developed over time to have long and sharp edges. The evolutionary reason behind this lies in the purpose of breaking and tearing down flesh. Flesh eating animals have canines so they can pierce their teeth into the prey. Canines, for this reason, can symbolically represent the natural survival instincts that we all inherit. Having a canine tattoo resonates with our natural predatory side and gives reverence to it. It is in fact a necessary evil that we all have to face.
Wisdom
The tooth we closely associate with the idea of wisdom is obviously the wisdom tooth. This tooth can be a pain for a few, located furthest back inside the mouth. A molar tooth appears between the age of 17 and 25. According to scientists, our brains stop developing at the age of 25. Therefore, this tattoo can depict the rite of passage to adulthood. It can also symbolize the existence of knowledge and represent someone who believes in enlightenment.
Corresponding Jaws
An upper jaw tattoo can also point to the metaphysical realm. Feelings, spirituality, and transcendence, are substantial. On the contrary, the lower law corresponds to the physical reality, materials, and objects. A lot of people correspond the two sides of the jaws as subjective and objective
Connection with Karma
A person with shiny white teeth has good karma and a person with yellow teeth has to work on his/her karma. These are just symbolical concepts that tooth tattoos can illustrate with the help of ink.
Religious Sentiments
Ancient religions gave importance to teeth as an object. For example, Tlaloc is a Mexican God of rain and fertility. His visual image is him wearing a crown with a tooth. Early Christians symbolized teeth as signs of superiority and self-confidence because it was what you used for smiling.
To Conclude
A tooth tattoo can mean plenty of things. Each tooth has different functions that can result in various complex meanings. A tooth tattoo is a great choice because it can set a cornerstone for the most basic, fundamental rules of life. It can also make you stand out among’st people with more popular tattoos. Choose the type of tooth tattoo that resonates with your personality. A tooth tattoo can be a great choice for you if you admire metaphysical concepts.
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