This Sailor tattoo is a great example of Anthony’s style.
Traditional tattoos with clean line work and smooth, classic shading.
This is a clipper ship design created specifically for the client.
Interested in a traditional styled tattoo by Anthony?
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Sailor tattoo history
Sailor tattoos have a rich and fascinating history that dates back centuries.
Sailors have been getting tattoos for a variety of reasons, including personal expression, identification, and superstitious beliefs.
In the early days of sea travel, sailors would get tattoos as a form of identification.
Since many sailors were illiterate, they would get tattoos of symbols or designs that represented their home port or country.
This helped to identify them if they were lost or captured while at sea.
As the years went by, tattoos became more popular among sailors as a form of personal expression.
Sailors would often get tattoos that represented their experiences at sea or their beliefs.
For example, an anchor tattoo represented a sailor’s hope for a safe return home.
In addition, a swallow tattoo represented the hope for a successful journey.
During the 19th century, tattoos became even more popular among sailors.
Therefore, many ports around the world became known for their tattoo artists.
Sailors would often get tattoos as a way to remember their travels and the places they had visited. This led to the development of tattoo styles that were unique to specific ports, such as the Sailor Jerry style in Hawaii.
In the early 20th century, tattoos became more mainstream, and many non-sailors began getting tattoos as well.
However, sailor tattoos remained popular and continued to be associated with the seafaring life.
Today, sailor tattoos are still popular and have become a part of mainstream culture.
Many people get sailor tattoos as a way to express their love of the sea or to pay tribute to the sailors of the past.
Some popular sailor tattoo designs include anchors, swallows, ships, and compasses.