John Stephenson and James Morss Churchill

Book Of Japanese Tattoo Designs

Japan, 1880-1910

A rare book of hand-painted tattoo designs made for Western clients, Japan, 1880-1910. Watercolor on silk, accordion-folded pages,

One of the few books of Meiji-era Japanese tattoo flash known to survive. Its silk pages are painted with a spectacular array of designs—bearded dragons, snakes, geishas, and heroes and immortals riding plunging, soaring beasts—truly some of the finest and earliest flash in existence. The book's route to Northern Ireland, where it recently came to light, is shrouded in mystery, but its construction and subject matter align with a small body of documented flash painted by Japanese tattooers for Western clients. Its anonymous artist painted in a precise style reminiscent of the famed Japanese tattoo master Hori-Chiyo, and was likely an equally-skilled contemporary working in Japan during the same period.

Following the opening of Japan in the 1860s, wealthy Western tourists flocked to the previously reclusive nation. There they were captivated by the lush, dynamic, full-body compositions of traditional Japanese tattooing on the local artisans, laborers, and service people they met in their travels. Acquiring the exotic, transgressive body art—and undergoing the long, painful, and costly experience of being hand-tattooed by a Japanese master—became a status symbol for the first wave of moneyed Western globetrotters. However, when the Japanese government banned the tattooing of its citizens in 1872, Japanese tattoo artists adapted their traditional practices to better suit the tastes and imperatives of the growing crowds of their Western patrons.

Smaller tattoos accommodated sailors' and travelers' limited time and funds, and a design repertory of cranes, lizards, cats, bats, and other animals—largely detached from their original symbolism—replaced larger, heroic scenes of warriors, comic figures, and gods of popular Japanese literature and art that had so enriched traditional Japanese tattooing. This book's preponderance of small designs exemplify this adaptation to a Western audience.

The Farrier

Aert van der Neer Dutch early or mid-1650s

The Great Omi

'Horrace Ridler was Born on the 26th March 1882 in Surrey. There are many written versions of his early life and background, most likely due to his persona as a showman with rich tales to accompany his spectacular visual style it is difficult to know what is fact and what is fiction, but it is clear that he spent some time in the army as a young man and during this time he also travelled extensively. It also seems his lifestyle was marked by partying and gambling and this lead to him to quickly loose a substantial inheritance and to leave his army post. After several years of financial instability, various further military service and many different jobs and business ventures he had by 1922 firmly set his sights on an adventure into a sideshow career. It is likely that Ridler already had several tattoos collected during his travels and time in the military, but he needed something radical in order to become a big sideshow star so he approached one of the best and most reputable tattoo artists of the time, George ‘Professor’ Burchett (1872-1953) and asked him to completely cover his entire body with ink work.

 Burchett spent the next seven years covering Ridler’s entire body, while also covering all traces of earlier work in order to turn him into the greatest tattoo attraction ever seen.

Over the next few year Horrace, now using his stage name of THE GREAT OMI frequently updated his appearance with more body modifications in order to remain a great human spectacle and command good payment for his public appearances. He had his teeth filed to points, had body piercin, subjected himself to early forms of facial plastic surgery modifying his nose and ears, he wore elaborate costumes, painted his nails, wore lipstick and later introduced his new wife Gladys the Omette as a double act.

Elaborate fictitious tales were told, relying on the audience’s lack of knowledge and awareness of other cultures and remote lands, to explain his outrageous  appearance.  A favourite tale was the claim that Omi had been captured by savages in New Guinea and tortured by tattooing. This story telling was common amongst tattoo acts and really boosted Omi’s popularity, turning him into one of the highest paid sideshow performers of his time.

After a visit to New York Omi was hired by Robert Ripley to appear on his famous ‘Believe it or Not’ show as the star attraction. Omi stayed with the show for six months, the longest time Ripley ever showcased a single performer. During that period, he appeared more than 1,600 times, often doing up to ten shows a day.

During the Second World War Omi performed in many shows for British war charities and war camps, boosting morale.

On his return to England Omi continued to donate his services to the war effort, giving free performances to troops and charity organizations and further supported the allied effort by promoting the sales of war bonds.  He continued to perform until the early 1950s and after nearly 30 years as a showman he retired to the drastically contrasting tiny and quiet village of Ripe with his wife. They lived in a caravan in the woods and lead a simple life.  Omi was sometimes a visitor to the village pub where he claimed to be a member of an elephant worshipping cult. 

Russian Criminal Tattoos

Lunar Photograph, South Pole

Paul Henry French Prosper Henry French 1890

The Moon

John Adams Whipple American James Wallace Black American 1857–60