Although they remain the subject of prejudice, tattoos were socially accepted as another form of art decades ago. It is a piece that tattoo artists imprint on the skin and that those who receive it can proudly display or keep to themselves. Discrimination in the workplace due to tattoos still exists, but it is increasingly accepted (so much so that in the UK even police officers can freely display tattoos) and even inks that act as biosensors are being developed.

But…did you know that not too long ago, tattoos were not only stigmatized, but there were upper-class people and even royalty who showed them off with pride?

neolithic tradition. The history of tattooing is older than the history of the wheel or even writing. Moreover, it is not something specific to a region of the world, which tells us that the tattoo tradition transcends borders and is something to which every culture attaches meaning.

For example, it is located in the Alps and BC. We have the mummy Ötzi with 61 tattoos, dated to 3250 BC. BC in Egypt Two mummies with tattoos were found between 3351 and 3017. In Latin America, we have a Chinchorro mummy in Chile from 4500 years ago, and he also has tattoos, and it is known that this was also practiced in Asia 3500 years ago.

chef. It was done with a different technique everywhere, but it is clear that the globalization of tattooing is nothing new, but it is a practice that has its comings and goings across the legal and social spectrum in the West. They were allowed, banned, popularized, used as a negative influence, and persecuted again over the centuries, but something changed in the mid-18th century. James Cook was a British sea explorer who made three voyages to the South Pacific and told stories about tattooed natives when he returned home.

In fact, the word ‘tattoo’ comes from the word ‘tataú’ in the Taihit language, and Cook’s description of this practice is interesting: “Both genders paint their bodies. This is done by placing the black color under the skin in such a way that it is a painful operation, especially in the hip area.” It is done only once in a lifetime.

Lower class and seamen. We don’t know what Cook thought of tattoos, but Joseph Banks, the scientific officer on the knight and captain’s expeditions, returned from one of these expeditions with a tattoo. He was highly respected among the aristocracy, but he was not the only one: many of Cook’s sailors returned home with stained skin.

So gradually tattoos were “reintroduced” in Europe, especially among sailors. Actually, these always existed, but European sailors brought it back into fashion. Yes, over the years these images have been associated not only with sailors, but also with the lower class or criminals. So he was stigmatized, but at some point in the 1870s, something changed.

Tattoos in Japan, in an illustration from the London News, December 1882

Gentleman’s question. “There were tattoos in Britain before and after Cook, and the styles did not change,” explains Matt Lodder, an author who has written a new book on the history of tattooing, as seen in The Guardian. But the key to this story is the opening of Japan in 1858. “Like prints, clothing or furniture, Japanese tattoos became exotic for aristocratic tastes.” This led to the fashion for the upper classes to privately display their designs at events such as dinners and other social gatherings.

and princes. The exciting thing wasn’t that the upper class had specifically taken over them, but that a member of the royal family had returned from Japan with a tattoo. At the Royal Collection Trust we can read the story of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. Although Meiji deemed tattooing “uncivilized” and banned it in 1872, 1880, and 1980, exceptions were sometimes made for foreigners. Before this the Duke of Edinburgh could obtain his permanent mark.

Alfred was the first member of the British royal family to get a tattoo. During his visit to Tokyo in 1869, he welcomed into his home an artist who tattooed a dragon on his right arm. Dragons are said to be popular among Japanese tattoo artists because they can control rain and thunder and also represent a powerful symbol of the East. And here Alfred shows off his dragon while rolling up his sleeves and bowling:

Here is the prince

demonization. He wasn’t the only member of the British royal family to go to Japan to get a tattoo. Albert Victor of Wales had a crane tattooed on his arm, while Prince George (later George V) got a tattoo of a tiger, a symbol of Western power, the reverse of a dragon. Later, in 1906, Prince Arthur of Connaught was tattooed with Fudō Myō-ō (Buddhist “fire god”).

There were also people who wanted to get a tattoo and were disappointed. For example, Edward, Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VIII. He wanted to do this during his visit to Japan in 1922, but legal restrictions in Japan at the time prevented this. “My biggest disappointment is not being able to get a tattoo in Japan but it seems to be illegal now,” he wrote.

beyond english. Lodder speaks from a British perspective, but it is a fact that tattooing became common among the upper classes of Europe. Emperor of Denmark II. William or Frederik IX had tattoos. King of Spain XIII. Alfonso, more. Tsar of Russia II. Even Nicholas had tattoos: another dragon on his arm, made in Japan.

It’s another thing for them to see each other. But as has been the case throughout history, the stigma returned after this attitude among the upper class. After the Second World War there was a decline in popularity and tattoos were once again associated with the lower class, criminals, prisoners and clansmen, although tattoos were still present across all social strata. Lodder offers an explanation for why some people’s tattoos are more visible than others: “If your king or banker has a tattoo, it’s unlikely to be visible, but if you’re a worker rolling up your sleeves, that’s a different story.”

So if you tell someone you want a tattoo and they look at you weird or ask who you’re hanging out with, you can tell them… who knows, maybe these tattoo companies own the copyright.

Pictures | RCT

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