Best tattoo shops and parlors in Lisbon, Portugal
Let Lisbon make its mark on you! This is a list of places where you can get clean and quality tattoo work done. Each one is different and the best option is to drop by a few and speak with artists and check out their work.
A bit of history about the origin of tattoos
People have been etching tattoos into their skin since the beginning of time. But what are the origins of inking? The first known tattoo — of a moustache — was discovered on a South American mummy from 6,000 B.C. It was a cosmetic tattoo, to make his wife more attracted to him, to make him more appealing.
But the 1991 discovery of the Iceman in the Alps, whose corpse dates back about 5,300 years, revealed tattoos that were used for a different purpose. They were used for medicinal purposes to heal arthritis. Aside from medicine and cosmetics, tattoos were used to mark important points in a lifetime or as symbolic markers.
Popular styles from the distant past include centipedes, abstract forms and mythological figures. Some women also marked their cheeks if they were barren, or their breasts to increase milk flow. And in certain societies, tattoos showed social class and standing. Tattooing for tribal aristocrats in the Kayan tribe of Borneo was reserved for powerful women.
Tattoos were also used as sort of a calling card, In the Iroquois tribes and other neighboring groups, when a man had built up his name as a warrior, they would carve their tattoos into a war club and they would leave it near the body of their victim. It was a way of taunting their enemies.
Ironically, while tattooing has been practiced for thousands of years, the word “tattoo” entered the language relatively recently. Captain Cook first recorded his derivation of the Samoan word “tatau” in his log in 1769. Tattooing was obviously very popular among seaman of the day. Many of the Bounty mutineers of 1789 were identified by their tattoos. Fletcher Christian, the leader of the mutiny, was reported to have “a star tattooed on his left breast,” and to be “tattooed on his backside”.
Tattoos
This is a list of places where you can get clean and quality tattoo work done. Each one is different and the best option is to drop by a few and speak with artists and check out their work.
Atomic Tattoo
Rua Conceicao da Glória, 46, 1D
Liberdade
tel. (+351) 213 433 832
www.myspace.com/atomictattoostudio
Bad Bones
Rua do Norte, 85
Bairro Alto
tel. (+351) 213 460 888
www.bad-bones.com
Inkdelight
Rua da Oliveira ao Carmo, Escadinhas do Oliveira, 3
Baixa Chiado
tel. (+351) 961 412 005
Estudio Edith
Rua da Venezuela, 41A
Benfica
tel. (+351) 217 156 442
www.odeith.com
Lisboa Ink
Rua do Telhal, 8C
Liberdade
tel. (+351) 213 462 181
www.myspace.com/lisboaink
Queen of Hearts
Rua Luiza Todi, 12 - 14
Bairro Alto
tel. (+351) 213 423 732
www.myspace.com/queen_of_hearts_tattoos
Triparte
Rua da Prata, 88
Baixa Chiado
tel. (+351) 218 862 994
www.triparte-tattoo.com
El Diablo
Largo Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, 30A
Baixa Chiado
tel. (+351) 213 476 126
www.myspace.com/eldiablotattooclub
La Diabla
Avenida Duque de Loulé, 66
Liberdade
tel. (+351) 213 539 454
www.ladiablatattoo.com
