Japanese leg full tattoo. Peony Flowers.
This Japanese leg full sleeve with owl, tiger and peony flowers have been finished today at Tattoo Culture, Brooklyn, NYC.
Peony Flower Symbolism.
The peony is among the longest-used flowers in Eastern culture. Along with the plum blossom , it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where the Paeonia suffruticosa is called 牡丹 (mǔdān). It is also known as 富貴花 (fùguìhuā) “flower of riches and honour” or 花王 (huawang) “king of the flowers”, and is used symbolically in Chinese art. [27] In 1903, the Qing dynasty declared the peony as the national flower.
Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony, giving it the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. While the peony takes several years to re-establish itself when moved, it blooms annually for decades once it has done so.
Peonies are a common subject in tattoos, often used along with koi-fish. The popular use of peonies in Japanese tattoo was inspired by the ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi ‘s illustrations of Suikoden , a classical Chinese novel. His paintings of warrior-heroes covered in pictorial tattoos included lions, tigers, dragons, koi fish, and peonies, among other symbols. The peony became a masculine motif, associated with a devil-may-care attitude and disregard for consequence. ( Source)
Leg Full sleeve done in Japanese style finished recently. Tattoo shows owl and tiger surrounded with peony flowers.
