Badass Bandit Heroes
“Where do I find badass bandit heroes? ”
The following is from a conversation with my brother that I’d had via text. In the last year or so, he’s become interested in getting a Japanese tattoo. Where does a person start? This is not the first inquiry along these lines and I imagine it won’t be the last. I should probably start sharing these question and answer correspondences as they undoubtedly will become useful to others who are also interested in tattoos and beginning to see something in the Japanese style.
Are there different dragons in irezumi?
Different?
Like a war dragon vs a wise dragon or a water dragon.
Not really. The existence of dragons in Japanese culture doesn’t focus on personalities. A dragon exists like a fish or a tiger exists. They can symbolize certain traits one might want to reflect like power and strength.
What usually pairs with a dragon on a body suit?
Flowers, leaves, clouds, waves, fire, lightning or characters- like badass hero/bandits.
Faces with knives through them?
No, you’ll want snakes and badass hero bandits for the severed head thing.
kk
Where do i find badass hero/bandits?
The badass hero bandit book!
This is so complex.
The images in this book are credited for a golden era boom of tattooing in Japan. At a time when photography did not exist and neither did the rest of the world.
http://www.kuniyoshiproject.com
Check the link above. It’s a fantastic resource- covers most or more of the images from the book.
That’s red.
rad
The images above are of the badass bandit hero book I referred to in the correspondence.
Of Brigands and Bravery: Kuniyoshi’s Heroes of the Suikoden by Inge Klompmakers published by Hotei Publishing.
If you’re interested in seeing more imagery of the Suikoden outlaws, check out this book from our digital library. In this issue of EX-LIBRIS we’re showcasing the Suikoden story by the ukiyoe artist Totoya Hokkei.
Start building your digital reference library today.
Click the image below!
