The Filipino Art of Tattoo

The history of tattooing in the Philippines goes back nearly as far as the history of the

country itself. There are literally hundreds of ethnic groups in the Philippine island chain, each

of which has their own language, tradition, and history.

Much like Borneo and other parts of Micronesia and Polynesia, tattoos were applied by a

sharpened bird bone or a kind of 'comb' made of sea shells. A hammer or mallet was used to

strike these repeatedly and drive the natural ink (usually made of pine and sugarcane juice)

under the skin.

Back then, getting infected was high. In cases where the attoos covered a large area of

the body, it was not uncommon to die while recovering from an extreme tattooing session.

Sometimes the process damaged internal organs.

However, many people back then still underwent the painful procedure because it was

considered an honor and worth the risk to lose life and limb. The tattoos......

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Title: Tattooing
Approximate Word Count: 1870
Approximate Pages: 8 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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