Japanese Tattoo Art Dragon - Print

Japanese and Chinese Dragon Tattoos symbolize strength, wisdom and freedom. The eastern dragon is one of the most popular mythological creatures picked for inking and a classic choice for a tattoo design. It is usually depicted as a wingless, heavily-scaled snake-like creature with small clawed legs and a horned or antlered camel head, and is associated with sea, clouds or the heavens. Japanese dragons tend to be much more slender and fly less frequently than the Chinese dragon. The breath of the Japanese Dragon changes into clouds from which come either rain or fire. It is able to expand or contract its body, and in addition it has the power of transformation and invisibility. This is merely a general description and does not apply to all eastern dragons, some of which have heads of so extraordinary a kind that they cannot be compared with anything in the animal kingdom. According to most sources, the Japanese dragon is closely related to the Chinese dragons, with the exception that the Japanese dragon has only three claws, while that of the Celestial Kingdom (China) has five. The designs can be in color, or black and white. The dragon tattoo may appear with sea waves, clouds, or pearls. If the dragon claw holds an enormous magical pearl, which has the power to multiply whatever it touches, the "pearl" symbolized the most precious treasure: Wisdom. Ancient Dragon lore and illustrations have inspired many to select a dragon tattoo because that design represents how we feel about ourselves -- strength, wisdom and freedom. This is a Japanese dragon because it has three claws.