The World of Tattoo: An Illustrated History
The encyclopedic work answers the fascination with tattoos in contemporary society by focusing on the origin and purpose of tattoos in ancient and aboriginal cultures in all parts of the world. In modern society, tattoos are a matter of personal choice and often personal design, whereas in ancient and aboriginal societies, a tattoo was 'the tribal variant...generally applied according to custom and associated with taboos and magic.' These 'variants' are covered in richly-illustrated, anthropological-like chapters on the different areas of the world. Innumerable illustrations include color photographs of tattooed individuals, historical art works showing tattoos, photographs of tattoos being put on, tattooing instruments, and close-ups of tattoos showing their details. With its diversity of captivating visual matter, encyclopedic scope, and informative, general-interest text, The World of Tattoo is a leading text on this subject of renewed interest in contemporary life; and it can also be used as a reference for tattooing in particular cultures or particular historical eras."Tattoos are an ever-increasing part of modern life and more tattoo books are being published as a result: but none quite so extensive or detailed as The World of Tattoo: An Illustraed History, which focuses on world tattoo culture and traditions. With sections divided by area of the world and packed with pages of color photos, it's easy to focus study on one region--and with World of Tatoo's focus on history and cultural insights there's much more going on than just a photo display alone.  Highly recommended not just for modern audiences interested in tattoo, but for any college-level collection strong in cultural references.