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Tattoo Design Ideas – Re-published after reviewed by the Tattoo Specialist for the correct information.
Reviewed and verified: August 24, 2023 by Jamie Wilson (BA)
Looking for inspiration for a mask tattoo that reflects your love of Japanese culture? Here are 10 mask tattoo ideas to get you started.
Japan has a rich culture, and the same is no exception for various art forms.
The Hannya tattoo has its roots in traditional Japanese musical theater. This theater known as ‘Noh’ has been famous among women in Japan since the 14th century.
Japanese cultures sell the idea of many scary categories, such as demons and stories of demonic characters, which are complex and crazy. They believe in spirits. These spirits are not always complicated and can be full of peace. If you are a person with so much personality, Japanese tattoos can reflect you better!
At first glance, the mask might look like the face of a demon or malicious creature, but that is not the case. It also has a deeper meaning. The mask was usually used in plays to represent women overcome by anger, jealousy or hatred, who eventually transformed into a demon or snake. The mask’s features are a lascivious mouth, sad eyes, two bull horns, and sharp fangs. There are various types of mask tattoos that can be done in the world, such as Majora’s Mask Tattoo, Samurai Mask Tattoo, Japanese Mask Tattoo, Jason Mask Tattoo, Doctor’s Mask Tattoo. Plague. Although the overall history and appearance of the mask may seem dark, the word Hannya in Japanese means “wisdom” and the masks themselves are considered a symbol of good luck. An Oni mask tattoo design is used in Japanese culture and is a common tattoo choice for those who believe in the forces of good and evil and the different powers that surround us.
If you want a mask tattoo, this is your sign. We have listed some images of tattoos inspired not only by Hannya’s tattoo but also by other aspects of Japanese culture and their meaning.
Colorful Hannya Mask Tattoos
This mask depicts a red hannya mask that breaks to reveal the face of a woman. In Japanese culture, the red hannya mask arts represent pure evil, meaning that the woman who wears a red hannya mask has completely given herself over to evil. The meaning that can be derived from this tattoo is that the woman who was overcome by anger or jealousy has been freed from it. Therefore, when the anger dissolves, the mask breaks to reveal her surprised expression.
Majora’s Mask Tattoo Designs
This image shows a Majora’s mask in a colorful pastel. The mask is shaped like a blue heart, with red eyes and glowing fangs. The mask tattoo appears to be a new version of the classic mask from the Legend of Zelda game, presenting a more modern and cartoonish result. With bright colors and no black outline, this tattoo creates a striking effect.
Traditional Hannya Masks Tattoo
This image is the more traditional version, often seen in cinemas. The artist has made a tattoo in shaded black, perfectly capturing the essence of each expression that a Hannya mask is supposed to present. Hannya’s mask can be seen with cherry blossoms over the demon’s horns, representing her gender. The Hannya tattoo is a popular choice among many tattoo enthusiasts as a sleeve tattoo related to the Japanese mask tattoo.
Hannya’s mask and the wave
This image is inspired by two main Japanese cultural references: the Hannya mask from Noh theater and the second, Under the Wave of Kanagawa, a modern Japanese wood painting. The tattoo is made of half mask and half waves, inspired by the image. It has some dark red details on one side and belongs to traditional tattoo art, with black and gray tones. This tattoo is sure to turn heads wherever you go!
Colorful Hannya and Oni mask tattoo
The following is the image of a pair of unique thigh tattoos. These tattoos illustrate both the popular Japanese oni and Hannya masks. The critical point of differentiation is that the oni mask represents men and is usually worn by men, while the Hannya mask represents women and is generally worn by them. This can be recognized by the helmet that the oni mask normally wears. The head of a Hannya mask is decorated with a pair of demon-like horns. In Japanese culture, the oni is considered the evil spirit of people who have died but are not gone.
On the one hand, oni masks are used to protect against evil and, on the other, hannya masks are used to bring good luck, counteracting and balancing each other’s roles. If you want a couple of mask tattoos, these designs are a wonderful idea!
Kitsune Mask Tattoo
This image is an example of a kitsune mask that is very commonly worn in Japan during festivals or rituals. Kitsune mask means fox mask, meaning it has the features of a fox painted on it, as a fox is considered a messenger of the god of fertility and agriculture. This image has a color tattoo of a mask split in half. Behind this mask, a pair of beautifully inked cherry blossoms and a teal sword can be seen. The small bells depicted in the image are used to ward off evil and ring lightly with every movement.
Black and red kitsune mask tattoo
The image above is another example that links to the kitsune mask. This one also shows half of a kitsune mask, behind which you can see a sword and a peony-like flower. The artist has inked red details around the eyes and mouth, with excellent nuances on the flowers and leaves. The expert shading work appears to give another dimension to the mask, and appears to protrude from its surface.
Black work gas mask tattoo
Gas masks are usually associated with biological warfare or a plague. These masks are used in highly polluted cities by people who want to keep toxins and air pollutants away from their lungs. Gas masks also symbolize death and destruction, or war that tends to release toxic gases in the form of gunpowder and nuclear release into the air, which could kill a person. These are the negative connotations, but some positive ones that represent gas masks can mean a revolution or a change from worse to better. This image illustrates a chest tattoo that runs through a pectoral. The tattoo mask is the one usually used against dangerous toxic air.
Gas Mask And Sunrise Color Tattoo
This image depicts a full sleeve colored tattoo, depicting a gas mask with beautiful shading covering the upper arm, with bright shades of blues, purples and reds. Below we can see a sunrise, which represents another beginning, or a sunset depending on the viewer’s perspective, which could mean that dark times are ahead. This tattoo can be interpreted positively or negatively, depending on your taste, but the colors used make it captivating to the eye!
Gas Mask Reflection Tattoo
The last image on our list represents a silhouette-shaped gas mask, of which only the glass part that covers the eyes is visible. This tattoo looks like a combination of blackwork style tattoo art and realism. In that, we could see orange and red fire, which symbolize destruction. This tattoo is dark and represents chaos, death, genocide and war. The tattoo artist does a fantastic job of capturing the heat of the fire in bright colors, but keeping the background, which is the mask itself, dark but recognizable.
Here are some more mask tattoo designs that you can check out.
- More Japanese mask tattoo
- Hannya Mask Tattoo Meaning
- Mask tattoo to cover up bad tattoos.
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