Tribal Tattoo Gallery

Various Tribal Tattoo Designs and Tribal Tattoo Meanings

All traditional tribal tattoo designs are deeply rooted in history and are symbolic in nature. Maori tribal tattooing was done with bone chisels and was a sacred, long and painful process. Traditional native Hawaiian tattooing is done with a tapping method using an instrument called a moli – a fine tooth combed instrument made from a hippopotamus tusk.
Tribal tattoo designs come from a variety of cultures including:

• Native American – Tribal tattoo meanings represent specific ideas or cultural expressions of spirits, blessings, status, ritual, protection, relationship to the earth and cycles of life.
• Polynesian – Tribal tattoo meanings based on deep roots such as traditions, social and religious values, mythologies, legends, proverbs and linguistics, tribe rituals and tribal ancestors.
• Maori – Tribal tattoo meanings celebrate important events in life and represent strength and courage. These tribal tattoo designs consist of distinctive curved shapes and spirals.
• Hawaiian – Tribal tattoo meanings offer personal identification, talisman tattoos are to offer protection, can be worn as a symbol of mourning; other Hawaiian tribal tattoo designs are simply for adornment.

Our Tribal Tattoo Gallery is a showcase where our INKED community members proudly display their tribal tattoo pictures.  This Tribal Tattoo Gallery showcases all kinds of tribal tattoos with tribal tattoo pictures of Native American, Polynesian, Maori and Hawaiian tribal tattoos, to name a few.  We know you want to see examples of tribal tattoos done by old-school methods as well as with modern machines, and INKED delivers.  Help us to build up the Tribal Tattoo Gallery by sending us your own tribal tattoo photos for submission.  We know you wear your tattoos with pride, so why not show them off?  Meanwhile, enjoy the Tribal Tattoo Gallery pictures of these tattoos, so rich in cultural significance and each with their own unique style.