Text in English & German. This is a photographic masterwork in two parts exploring the secret world of magical tattooing and scarification across the tribal world. Based on one decade of tattoo anthropologist Dr Lars Krutaks fieldwork among animistic and shamanic societies of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Melanesia, this book journeys into highly sacred territory to reveal how people utilise ritual body modification to enhance their access to the supernatural. The first part delves into the ancient art of Thai tattooing or sak yant that is administered by holy monks who harness the energy and power of the Buddha himself. Emblazoned with numerous images of dramatically tattooed bodies, this chapter provides tattoo enthusiasts with a passport into the esoteric world of sak yank symbols and their meanings. Also included is an in-depth study into the tattooing worlds of the Amerindians. From Woodlands warriors to Amazonian shamans, tattoos were worn as enchanted symbols embodied with tutelary and protective spirit power. The discussion of talismanic tattooing is concluded with a detailed look at the individuals who created magical tattoos and the various techniques they used. Krutak writes about many tribal tattoo designs permeated with various forms of power and explains what these marks mean for the people who wear them. Part two is an absolute must-read-and-see for anyone seeking knowledge about the religious meanings of tribal scarification. The rituals, techniques, and spiritual iconography of scarmasters in Benin (Betamarribe), Papua New Guinea (Kaningara), and Ethiopia (Hamar) expose a relatively undocumented world of permanent body symbolism created through painful and bloody rites of self-sacrifice and restraint.

Tattoos in crime and detective narratives examines representations of the tattoo and tattooing in literature, television and film, from two periods of tattoo renaissance (1851-1914, and c1955 to present). It makes an original contribution to understandings of crime and detective genre and the ways in which tattoos act as a mimetic device that marks and remarks these narratives in complex ways. With a focus on tattooing as a bodily narrative, the book incorporates the critical perspectives of posthumanism, spatiality, postcolonialism, embodiment and gender studies. The grouped essays examine the first tattoo renaissance, the rebirth of the tattoo in contemporary culture through literature, children's literature, film and television. The collection has a broad appeal, and will be of interest to all literature and media scholars, but in particular those with an interest in crime and detective narratives and skin studies. -- .

A fantastic, all-new, third volume of tattoo art - both tattoos and original artworks - showcasing the best recent work of the world's most outstanding tattoo artists. The format is compact, but contains over 600 full-colour photographs of the work of international tattoo art stars, including Frank Carter, Camila Rocha, Dan Smith and Horikazu (see full list of contributing artists below), representing outstanding value-for-money. Over the past 20 years, tattoos have emphatically entered the mainstream, perhaps most notably on the person of UK prime minister David Cameron's wife Samantha. Whether celebratory tattoos, local landmarks, weddings, gravestones, timepieces, song lyrics, club colours, the Olympic rings, something World Cup-related or even a flight of plaster ducks, more and more people are sporting tattoos. There are also ever more artists who have turned their hands to tattooing, and vice versa. Tattoo styles are changing, too, under the influence of other art forms as traditional methods of designing tattoos - using pencil, marker, ink and pain - are joined by computer-generated art and Photoshop creations. Practically unheard of a few decades ago, women with tattoos are on the rise, and there is also an ever-increasing number of female tattoo artists, a number of whose work is showcased in this book. Full list of contributing artists: Adam Machin, Amy Savage, Anthony Flemming, Camila Rocha, Chris Jones, Davee Blows, Eddie Stacey, Greg Orie, Ian Parkin, Jemma Jones, Kate Shaw, Leigh Oldcorn, Mauro Tampieri, MxM, Oddboy, PriZeMaN, Roxx, Yohann Bonvoisin, Adam Sargent, Andrea Furci, BJ Betts, Chase Tafoya, Claire Reid, David Corden, Emily Wood, Guen Douglas, Ian Saunders, John Anderton, Ken Patten, Luca Ortis, Michael Rose, Nick Skunx, Paul Johnson, Ren Shorney, Stefano C, Aimee Cornwell, Andrew McNally, Bong, Chelsea Shoneck, Crispy Lennox, Dean Taylor, Frank Carter, Hannah Wolf, Johnny Domus, KJT, Mat Lapping, Niki Norberg, Pete Oz, Richard Barclay, Steve Richardson, Akuma Shugi, Andy Engel, Cally Jo, Chris Crooks, Dan Smith, Dris Donnelly, Gari Henderson, Horikazu, Jammes, Jorge Becerra, Lauren Winzer, Matt Adamson, Miss Arianna, Pete the Thief, Rory Pickersgill, Tom Flanagan.