Piercings as Art Form

Historians believe humans in the 5,000-year-old mummies' time thought that demons entered earthly bodies through the ear, and that placing metal inside the earlobe would ward them off. Today, many African tribes display expressive body piercings as part of their way of life for spiritual and societal reasons.

Piercings as Art Form

In preserving their ancient cultures and belief systems, many African tribes have continued practices of piercing their bodies that originated thousands of years ago. Piercings throughout Africa denote pride, beauty and wealth. The African Conservancy's website states, "African body art changes the wearer into an object shaped by color, movement, textures, patterns and designs." In contrast with western beliefs about the taboo nature of body piercings, many tribal Africans believe that puncturing and even stretching builds character, discipline and strength.

Ear Piercings

The Massai people, an ethnic tribe living in present day Kenya and Tanzania, historically migrated from North Africa and once ruled much of the continent. Through disease, famine and an influx of tourism, the Massai have preserved their original cultural beliefs and practices, including ritualistic earlobe piercing and stretching. Both men and women stretch their earlobes with hollow discs, and hang intricately beaded jewelry from the holes created through stretching. During traditional Massai dances and ceremonies, including circumcision for both men and women, the person being honored dresses in extensive body jewelry.

Lip Plates

Noted by "National Geographic" as a popular draw to tourists, the culturally rich Mursi tribe, living in southern Ethiopia is known for its women wearing the lip plates to display beauty and individuality. The lip plate is a large disc made from pottery or wood and worn in a woman's bottom lip that can reach up to 12 centimeters in diameter. At the age of 15 or 16, each Mursi girl has her lip cut by her mother or another woman of the tribe. The women fill the cut with a wooden plug until it heals, and then stretch the opening by adding larger plates over a series of months.

Nose Piercings

In the Christian Bible's book of Genesis, Abraham provides a "golden earring" to the woman, Rebecca, who marries his son, Isaac. The word used in the verse to describe the gift is "Shanf," which translates to "nose ring" in Hebrew. In reference to this verse, men of the nomadic Berber and Beja tribes, living in the Sahara and the Sudan respectively, present their wives with wedding rings that are worn in the nose. A large nose ring worn by a woman symbolizes a wealthy husband to those who see her. If a woman separates from her husband, the nose ring is hers to sell or barter for security.

Polynesian Tattoo

Polynesian tattoos are traditional tattoos, which depict the relationship between human beings and the supernatural powers in Polynesian tradition.The tattoos which are reproduced in flash designs are believed to help in building strong relationships with the Gods.

Polynesian Tattoo Designs - Idiosyncratic Designs
Since hundreds of years Polynesian tattoo designs were considered a sacred art work, and the tattoo artist were regarded esteemed, and they were considered belonging to the elite group in their Island.

There are different tattoo designs belonging to the society which symbolizes different ideas. The Enata tattoo designs are natural tattoo designs which depict personal details of the individual. The design can reproduce either the individual’s background, or his native island, social status, etc.

The Etua designs have a firm spiritual meaning. These tattoo symbols were given to the person as an honor or as an offering to protect the individuals. Tiki designs relates to the spiritual ancestors or the first human being on earth. Other Polynesian tattoo designs include gecko, dolphin, ray etc which has strong meanings attached to the symbols.

Tattoos Art - Overview of the Ancient Art

Polynesian art history dates back to around two thousand years. The tattoos art originated from the ancient Polynesian society which used tattoos as a tool to showcase their culture and religious beliefs. The needles used for tattooing are made from turtle shells. During the ancient times, it took more than one to two months for completing the entire tattoo design for one individual.

Polynesian tattoos were first observed in the mid seventeenth century especially among the male members of the society followed by the females. Many children were also tattooed as a measure to protect them from evil spirits and unfavorable elements in nature. The tattoos art used basic tattoo colors unlike today, where people use an array of colors for the tattoos.

Polynesian Tattoo Symbols - Meanings

Maori tattoo designs which belong to the Polynesian category are made of complex curves and spirals, and these tattoos are made on the face, legs, buttocks, of men and neck region, chin, lips, and the back portion of the Maori women. These tattoos are usually made with the help of chisel. Hawaiian Polynesian tattoo symbols, on the other hand, in addition to being an individual identification mark, are also considered as a personal ornament.

The designs are made with black ink and are one of the largest tattoo symbols in the Island. Designs like sea turtle, arrows, lizards, dolphins, flowers from tropical regions, like hibiscus, orchids, etc are some of the popular designs. Hawaiian flower designs are tattooed as ornaments on men folks, as well. A turtle tattoo represents the long life and fertility, while tattoos with shell designs represent wealth and shark represents strength and courage.

Onko Chishin – Japanese Tattoo Documentary

In this documentary we follow Dutch tattoo artist Rob Admiraal on his trip to Japan where he goes to have a huge dragon tattoo on his back finished, do some tattooing himself and visit other leading Japanese tattooists.

Onko Chishin (Complete with ENG subs) from rodgezooi on Vimeo.

Admiraal gives us a guided tour of Japanese tattooing and explains how traditional art and modern, Western influences each play their part in what tattoo in Japan has become today. He also talks about his personal tastes and preferences and does not hesitate to go deeper into more theoretical aspects of the art, such as the balance between representation and abstraction, typical for Oriental art.

An intriguing scene in the documentary is that in which Admiraal gets the very last part of his huge tattoo done: the eyes of the dragon, which will “bring it to life”. It is nice to see how this Dutch fellow at the same time acknowledges the importance of this almost magical gesture but also stays clear-headed and never seems to get carried away by all the “Orientalism” in which he is surrounded. I don’t know the guy, but I already like him…

The film was made by Rogier Postma.

The Best Michael Jackson Tattoo Tributes To Date

Today Saturday, June 25th marks the 2nd Anniversary of the death of Michael Jackson and it's still difficult for some people to accept that the "King of Pop" is gone. Folks have chosen to keep Michael in their memories by getting a tattoo in remembrance of him. During his life Michael had so many fans, we're sure a lot of people had tattoos of him long before his death.

In honor of the passing of one of the most memorable entertainers of our time, I have assembled some of the greatest Michael Jackson tattoos found on the net.

Who knows, maybe you will even be inspired to get some ink to remember the late great Micheal Jackson.

Michael will Always live in our hearts.

R.I.P. Michael

Sacred Skin : An exploration of Thailand's sak yant tattoo culture

Almost like a cartographic reference to ancient wisdom, the ink on the man’s body stands out in dramatic detail on the monochromatic image on the cover of “Sacred Skin: Thailand’s Spirit Tattoos.”

His skin has been transformed into a magical canvas, a manifestation of his faith, on which archaic geometrical patterns interspersed with ancient script, Buddhist iconography, deities from the Hindu pantheon, heavenly creatures and earthly animals are woven into a primeval codex designed to protect the wearer from accidents, misfortune and crime.

It is this sacred Thai tattoo tradition, sak yant, that is the focus of writer Tom Vater and his photographer wife Aroon Thaewchatturat’s new collaboration in print.

Sacred Skin is“the first book that looks comprehensively at a really important aspect of Thai culture that most foreigners know absolutely nothing about,” says Tom, who has published non-fiction books and travel guides and co-written a number of documentary screenplays for European television.

"Sacred Skin" is an introduction to Thailand's spirit tattoos, highlighting the men and women who make them come alive on their skin.

Aroon, an assignment and stock photographer around Asia since 2004, has shot three photo books.

In 2005, she won an Emmy for her role as associate producer on "The Sea Gypsies," a documentary on the plight of Thailand’s Moken sea nomads in the wake of the 2004 tsunami.

Here the two of them talk about their latest project.

How did the idea for this book develop?

Aroon: In 2003, we attended the annual tattoo festival at Wat Bang Phra and Tom wrote about it for the “Fortean Times.”

Tom: We kept returning and in 2009 we approached a Hong Kong-based publisher.

What is the origin of sak yant?

Tom: Most of these signs come from India. In the 4th century, India was ruled by the Buddhist Emperor Ashoka who sent missionaries out to spread the religion.

Worried, the Hindus in turn dispatched Brahmins, who were already using sacred yantra (mystical diagrams) on cloth and metal as protective symbols.

And in Southeast Asia, it got transferred from cloth to skin.

Zhou Daguan, a Chinese diplomat at the court of Angkor in the 13th century noted that the kings of Angkor had metal yantras inserted under their skin. So already 1,000 years ago this was in use in Cambodia and most likely in Thailand too.

We also found yants of tribal origin. So it’s a whole amalgamation of different religious and esoteric beliefs.

"Koy is a 23 year old chef in her parents’ restaurant," says Tom. "When her sister was abused by her husband, Koy attacked her brother in law and paralyzed him. She feels that the warrior yant and a tiger yant on her back enabled her to defend her sister."

Why get a sak yant?

Tom: The wearers believe that it stops bullets or knives and has miraculous effects. Perhaps, those who wear sak yant have a need to stop bullets and knives as it turns out that some are quite shady.

But in order to get the tattoos and for them to work, you have to follow a set of rules the tattoo master gives you. A lot of the advice is commonsense: to stop taking drugs, or getting drunk.

A shop-owner who wants to attract new customers will be told to be polite and friendly.

You follow these rules, your life will improve a bit, and you might think that these tattoos are really working; they are in a way. As one master said, sak yant is a powerful reminder to stay on the right path. The vast majority who have sak yant for the moment are working class, though many get done in oil to escape the stigma.

Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, all peddle certain rather unlikely truths, so, why not believe in the power of a ancient diagram?

How does one become a tattoo master?

Aroon: You cannot just set up a sak yant studio. You have to find a master, study and learn the mantras.

First he will allow you to tattoo junior devotees, then at a ceremony he will put a "risi" mask on you, making you a master.

Tom: It would take years to learn, not just the tattoo technique but the mantras that are chanted while it is being done.

The writing on the skin is Pali, an old Indian language, and the earliest liturgical language of Buddhism.

But when they tattoo they transliterate from Pali into Khom, an old Cambodian alphabet, so what you read is Pali but written in Khom.

To make each yant unique so that it can’t be copied, they switch the letters around. It’s like a copyright, the master’s signature.

"25 year old Yod is the son of shaman and grew up in a spiritual environment," says Tom. "He feels destined to wear sacred tattoos."

Your biggest challenge?

Tom: Getting these people to trust us and gaining access to them as some of them have been burned by sensationalist TV and tabloid journalism.

An interesting anecdote you came across?

Tom: A petite 23-year-old cook had an amazing story to tell. Her brother-in-law got involved in some shady business and she went with her sister to get him home.

At the meeting he began hitting his wife, at which point this girl bit his shoulder and tore out a part, paralysing him. She believes that her tiger yant took over, giving her superhuman strength.

Her tattoo master told her that though it had worked, she shouldn’t overestimate its power. He told us that when she got the tiger tattoo on her back, she went into a khong khuen (trance) and even four guys couldn’t hold her down.

Aroon:Her brother-in-law returned home and became a nice quiet guy.

What do you think about the Ministry of Culture’s decision to crack down on religious tattoos?

Tom: We assume that the ministry is largely concerned with what commercial tattoo studios do. This might not have anything to do with sak yant, as such.

That said, the ministry would be better off educating people about sacred tattoos than trying to ban all sorts of things considered un-Thai or bashing foreigners; many Thais also wear commercial religious tattoos.

It is a storm in an inkpot; perhaps the relevant authorities need to look active prior to the upcoming elections.

The movie "Hangover II" is grossly insensitive to religious sensibilities, but I don’t see the authorities complaining about it.

A Must Watch Tattoo Documentary in the Works

About the film

The film is the brainchild of one of the world's most widely recognized black tattoo artists; Miya Bailey. For over 5 years the idea has always been in his head to create a film that not only sheds light on the artform, but also allows the artform to be represented in the right way. There are a lot of stigmas attached to black tattoo artists and their side of the culture; ranging from a lack of creativity to overall poor quality of work. This in turn has lead to artists from other backgrounds and those in the black community choosing to take their business elsewhere in search of quality work.

A lot of people also don't understand the purpose of paying a few extra dollars for what appears to be a tattoo anyone is capable of doing, after all, you just need someone with a machine and gloves right? This film sheds light on the dangers of not considering who you let mark your body FOREVER!

The black community has an overwhelming population of "scratchers": untrained people with tattoo machines looking to make a fast buck. A person’s thirst to get inked often leads them to seek out a scratcher because they are sold on the cheap price and opportunity to get inked. More often than not the end result is a poor tattoo that many regret, can become infected or just looks terrible. This perpetuates the cycle of stigmas associated with the art form.

The primary purpose here is education, basically if people knew better they would do better. There are dozens of black artists who are trained and highly skilled in any form of tattooing one could ask for. Once people watch this film we really want them to have a better understanding of their options and a deeper appreciation for the art form.

The film highlights the history of black tattoo culture and how it began in the south despite a heavily segregated climate for black artists seeking entry. We cover signature styles and how those styles have developed and influenced newer artists over the years. Tattooing in the media is another important aspect, as it is the biggest factor of how the cultures influence has spread. It is no secret that entertainers and athletes dictate the trends younger generations pick up on and tattooing is no different. What is suprising is despite the money these cultural icons have, some of their work is no better than the kid who got his in a basement down the street from his house. This further deludes the public as to what great artwork looks like and what is available to everyday people.

Body Modification Documentary

If you haven't watched Taboo here's your chance.




Sources
La Sumisa

Suspension

The process is very delicate and is typically done carefully by an experienced individual or professional of the field in order to avoid serious injury. Suspension may require and often has a small group who handle preparations and the process itself. The actual act of being suspended may take up a tiny portion of time compared to the time involved in preparation, though some people remain suspended for hours.

If carried out properly, the suspendee's body will be studied to decide the proper placement, number, and size of metal hooks which are pierced into the skin to lift the person off the ground. Multiple hooks are usually located around the shoulders, upper arm, and back, as well as around the knees (this depends on the position in which the body is to be suspended).

Finding the proper hook placement and number involves a great deal of skill in mathematics and an acute understanding of human anatomy and physiology, as well as the durability of the individual's skin. If the number of hooks are too few, the suspended individual's skin will be unable to withstand the body's weight and will rip. When using body areas with fairly strong skin, approximately 2 piercings may be sufficient for some people.

Also, the amount of weight each hook supports must be distributed evenly throughout the entire body — any imbalance risks injury. A block and tackle-like machine made for suspension is used and powerful rope that attaches to the hooks is used to slowly and carefully lift an individual a foot or two off the ground — where they may remain relatively motionless for a predetermined period of time. However, depending on the type of suspension, there may be a considerable degree of freedom of movement.

Suspensions are sometimes used for meditation supposedly to gain a higher level of spiritual fulfillment or awareness. It can also be used as entertainment or as performance art. Acrobatic actions may be performed, most commonly during a 'suicide' suspension.

Historically, suspension rituals were performed by the Mandan tribe, located along the banks of the Missouri River. The Oh-Kee-Pa type of suspension was derived from this ritual. Modern day suspensions are closely related to the artwork of performance artists that use their own bodies as canvases. Roland Loomis was an artist who specialized in suspension and piercing performance pieces, also starting the Modern Primitivism movement. He helped to bring attention to the suspension 'scene' in the United States. Allen Falkner helped to bring suspensions to people who weren't spiritual, as well as a plethora of different and unique suspensions types.

There are two main types of rigging: dynamic, and static. Dynamic rigging primarily uses ropes, or something similar, and one long piece is used to connect the suspender to the apparatus. In static rigging, each hook is attached to the apparatus separately.

The apparatus is usually rigged to a tree, ceiling, scaffolding, etc. using pulleys, or a winch.

Types of suspensions

Chest

A chest suspension, sometimes incorrectly referred to as an "O-Kee-Pa", is a suspension in which the hook(s) are placed in the chest. Typically two hooks are used for this type of suspension. This is named after the Okipa ceremony of the Mandan people, as a rite of passage for young men, and also practiced by vision seeking Shaman. In respect to the Mandan people the "O-Kee-Pa" name is not used to reference this position.

Coma

A coma suspension is a suspension in which the hooks are placed in the chest, torso and legs, usually in two rows, such that the suspendee is lying face up. The name of this position comes from the similar imagery in the movie Coma.

Falkner

Inverted Knee ("Falkner") This suspension takes place hooked from the knees and hung vertically with the head closest to the ground and the knees at the top. There is no standard for hook placement on this suspension, as it depends almost solely on the anatomy of the suspendee. Many people refer to this as a "Falkner" suspension since Allen Falkner is the first known person to ever attempt this particular configuration. This style is relatively new, but is quickly growing in popularity. It is not considered to be an extremely painful suspension, but the drawbacks include lower back pain and ripping of skin in the areas around the knees. Another factor of this suspension is the increased blood pressure to the brain due to the inverted position, which can lead to disorientation and cause headaches.

Suicide

A suicide suspension is a suspension in which the hook(s) are placed in the upper back, such that the suspendee is hanging upright. This type of suspension is named suicide due to its similarity in appearance to someone who has hanged him or herself.

Resurrection

A resurrection suspension is a suspension in which the suspended person is held up by hooks, usually in two rows on the belly; it gives the impression of rising from death as the suspendee is curved backwards facing up.

Crucifix

A crucifix suspension is a variation on a suicide suspension in which hooks are also placed in the arms, such that the suspendee appears to be hanging on a cross, with his or her arms held out to the side.

Superman

A superman suspension is the opposite of a coma suspension - the hooks are placed in the back and legs, usually in two rows, such that the suspendee is lying face down. This type of suspension is named superman due to the similarity in appearance to Superman flying.

Other

Other variations exist, utilizing anywhere from one to dozens of hooks. The rebirth suspension is usually performed with 4 to 6 hooks in the back, with the suspendee in the fetal position, face down. Some hang from calves, ankles, knees, or buttocks. Possibilities even include facial suspension. The "Angel" Suspension is eight hooks in the back where the outline of an angel's wings would be.


Sources
La Sumisa


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Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry - Tattoo Documentary

Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry explores the roots of American tattooing through the life of its most iconoclastic figure, Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins. Considered by many the foremost tattoo artist of all time, Collins is the father of modern day tattooing, whose uncompromising lifestyle and larger than life persona made him an American legend.

Through rare interviews, photographs and hours of archival footage, Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry: The Life and Times of Norman Keith Collins, explores the past, present and future of the global tattooing phenomenon. Featuring interviews with Sailor Jerry's protege, Ed Hardy.



Sources

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Magnet Implant

Magnetic children have been springing up across former Yugoslavian nations recently. Their stories are a little dubious, but some scientists and body-modification fans have been irresistibly drawn to the idea of merging man and magnet, with startling results.

Magnets have long been a source of fascination for we curious apes, drawing the attentions of generations of scientists, writers and philosophers. The ancient natural philosopher Thales thought that they might perhaps have a soul, prompting Aristotle to note (with perhaps a hint of snarkiness), "[he thinks] all things are full of gods." 2600 years later the rapper Shaggy 2 Dope summed up the frustrations many of today's youth feel when physics intrudes into their lives, pleading, "fucking magnets, how do they work?"

History is littered with experiments in magnetism; from Shen Kuo's successful use of magnets in navigation by 1088, to William Gilbert's investigations of Earth's magnetism published in 1600, to my own experiments in the mid-1980s, which involved inserting bar magnets into my nostrils and trying to make paperclips stick to my nose.

I wanted a magnetic nose. I still do, and who wouldn't? A magnetic nose is not something to be sniffed at (or with; removing bar magnets from sinus cavities is not a pleasant task for anyone involved). Imagine being able to sense north through a tingling in your nose, feel your mobile phone ringing in your face, or spend the night locked in a pleasant nasal embrace with your dream lover of opposite polarity. The possibilities are as endless as the variation in your mileage.

In Eastern Europe my dreams of magnetic people have supposedly become reality, for a very low value of supposition and a very tenuous definition of reality. Boys and girls with 'magnetic bodies' have been springing up all over the place, without a nose-bleed or a hidden bar magnet in sight.

The latest is Ivan, a six-year-old Croatian boy with "the ability to attract metallic objects, from coins to heavy frying pans, to his body" according to the, er, well, Guardian sadly. He follows ten-year-old Serbian girl Jelena, and her seven-year-old compatriot, Bogdan, who is supposedly banned from going near anything electrical and therefore won't be on Twitter any time soon.

All three are claimed to be magnetic, but this obviously isn't the case. Bogdan is pictured with china plates and a TV remote control plastered to his chest, while Jelena is able to 'attract' mostly-plastic cigarette lighters - not objects you would really expect magnetism to act on.
The videos are rather oddly staged, too. None of the footage shows any objects being impelled by any force, or moving without human assistance; the items are always placed carefully against the flesh, with big surfaces in contact rather than, say, the edge of a knife. Larger, heavier items are positioned at the top of the chest with the child leaning backwards, suggesting that actually a lot of the weight is pressing into the skin, not pulling against it (and both boys are generously proportioned, allowing some of the weight to rest on their tummies).

It also bugs me that the demonstrations are so unimaginatively lame. If my ejaculate somehow gave rise to a magnetic boy I can think of a thousand experiments way cooler than sticking cutlery to him. It would be nice to see him lift a cloud of iron filings off of the ground with a wave of the hand, or put a compass near him, or have him picked up by one of those electromagnetic cranes they use to pick up cars in junkyards, or make him be the first person to wing-walk on the underside of a wing.

In short, these aren't very convincing displays. Human skin is greasy and oily and stretchy and can be pretty sticky - most men at some point in their lives will experience the agony that comes when you sit naked on a leather chair in hot weather and then stand up, only to find the bottom half of your scrotum still welded to the seat. There's nothing in the videos that can't be explained by sticky skin and some careful positioning.

My dream isn't quite dead though. Thanks to the efforts of artists and scientists, magnetic people do exist. Quinn Norton wrote a fascinating essay for Wired in 2006 which describes the adventures of body modification artists Jesse Jarrell and Steve Haworth, who worked in collaboration with graduate student Todd Huffman to develop implants that would allow them to sense magnetic fields through their finger-tips.

The implants were tiny - miniscule fragments of iron encased in a silicone sheath to prevent rejection - but the results were startling. "In time, bits of my laptop became familiar as tingles and buzzes. Every so often I would pass near something and get an unexpected vibration," Norton relates, in an article that is well worth reading in full.

In Britain, graduate student (and science blogger) Jawish Hameed at the University of Reading has been living with his own magnetic implants for over two years.

His implants are tiny neodymium disc magnets inserted in the ring and middle fingers of his left hand. They are 3mm in diameter, and just 0.7mm thick, and coated in a material called Parylene C to prevent any reaction with the surrounding tissue. Doctors at the university refused to perform the surgery, so Hameed had the procedure carried out by a body modification artist, Mac McCarthy. It sounds risky, and he tells me that he did it with his family's 'minimal knowledge', "They had concerns of its long term effects. But over two years with the implants without incident has comforted them somewhat!"

The magnets are positioned in the pads of the finger-tips. Electromagnetic fields can stimulate the magnets, and their tiny movements and vibrations are picked up by the tightly-packed mechanoreceptors (nerves that sense mechanical pressure and distortion) in Hameed's fingers, allowing him to experience magnetism as little tugs and tingles.

I asked him what it felt like. "It startled me on numerous occasions when interacting with everyday things like cash machines, microwaves, speakers and even my own laptop," he says, "I was suddenly aware of the silent spin and working of the hard drive and the cooling fan. I could feel a field around microwaves from about a foot away."

His experiences then are similar to Quinn Norton's, with household objects suddenly interacting with his senses in whole new ways. "Each magnetic field induces a different sort of feeling, depending on the strength and frequency of the current that drives the electromagnetic fields," he tells me, "It is hard to describe an analogy but [it] feels like the vibrations from wind."

A simple interface, consisting of an electromagnetic coil on a wire-frame wrapped around the finger, allows a computer to deliver signals to the implants. Initial tests have been promising, although there is obviously a long way to go before anything like this could be used widely. There are many possible applications, particularly for the blind. He has been able to use the implants to receive Morse code, and has experimented with transmitting information from an ultrasonic ranger to the implants to help people 'feel' the environment around them.

He also plans to integrate the implants with his mobile phone, "I'm currently preparing a mini ring-sized wearable interface to injecting text messages from my phone." Even without the interface, he says his extra sense has practical uses: "I use it quite regularly to sense if a wire is carrying AC household current."

Check out the video below, it shows how the procedure is done.



It goes to show that where we find fairy tales, science is often not far behind. Jawish Hameed is not 'Magnetoman', but there's something quite amazing about a species that, given five wonderful senses with which to experience our world, sets about trying to build a sixth.


Sources
La Sumisa


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Body Modification

The concept of body modifications has long been prevalent in the human race. Put in simple words, ‘body modification’ refers to the process of making changes in the body. The changes incorporated can be temporary or permanent in nature. Primarily done for the purpose of beautification, body modification has emerged to be very different from what it had started as. The need as well as the ways for body modification has undergone transformation. This concept of making changes in the body has various implications and differs from culture to culture. While sharp objects, to tattoos to amputations are all categorized as ways to modify any part of the body, jewelries are the most common element that is used in body modifications.

Apart from being a fashion statement, body modifications in early days were done for purely religious reasons. This thing still prevails in the modern times where examples can be cited from various regions. Believers do so with this faith that their sacrifice and pain will satisfy God and they will be granted their wishes. The pain inflicted on the body while doing so becomes immaterial at that time.

Tracing back to the times of Indus Valley civilization, ornaments or jewelries has played a crucial role in body modifications. Earrings, anklets, necklaces, nose rings all excavated from the ruins have proved that they were in use in those days. The Bronze statues of a dancing girl excavated at one such site bore proof of the same fact. Bangles, rings, head bands also found at the excavation sites are evidence of the fact that even men used these for body modifications.

For many cultures across the world, body modifications have an altogether different need and importance. It is an inherent part of their culture and they are taught to imbibe this from their very childhood. Say for example in Myanmar, the women of the Padaung tribe has this tradition to wear tight neck rings around their necks. The practice starts at a tender age of 5. While at this time, the number of ring put around the neck is one, the number soon increases with time. It’s quite prevalent among them to wear as many rings as possible around their calves too. The ultimate reason for doing so is to modify the neck as in the process it gets elongated at times to alarming rates. Other body modifications followed by tribes related to this use jewelry extensively for elongating their ear lobes or ear piercings done previously.

Instances of body modifications can also be found in the American culture where the use of labrets is common among First Nations people inhabiting the North west coast. Modifications of the lips with the use of lip plates are common among Sara and Mursi people, mostly of African origin.

Body modifications can hence be categorized as common and ‘extreme’. While some are temporary and easy to do like body piercing, ear piercing, dermal anchoring which is placing a small steel bead on the skin, neck rings and tattooing – some can be really dangerous and harmful. The extreme kinds consist of tongue splitting and extra ocular implant.

With time, the sense of fashion has undergone a considerable change. For so long, footwear, jewelry and handbags co ordinate perfectly with stylish attire drew the attention in the crowd. Now is the time, when a ethnic embroidered apparel from India or a chic Indo western wear is well complimented by a perfectly done body modification.


Sources
La Sumisa
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