Naga Tattoo's Deep Insight and Unique Design Favored Best Globally

Renowned for powerful symbolism, sacred meaning and unique designs, Nagaland tattoo art that presided from 19^th Century by various tribes secure its place in 100 Global Tattoos List with modern fusion.

All the effort goes to the modern Naga tattoo artists competing globally, where Nagaland born Manipuri origin Mo Naga has made tremendous effort with his creative fusion to revive the dying art. Popularize it with amalgamation of modern art to position it in global standard and map it in the top best tattoo works internationally.

Konyak tribe who believed to be the origin of Maynammmar border area adjacent to Nagaland popularized tattoo practice with their indigenous head hunter designs. This aggressive warrior attitude foreign tribes who earlier intruded in major regions of Northeast, influenced and hyped face including body inking in 19^th century.

Naga tribes soon adapted this gruesome concept of head hunter tattooing culture that later modified with more subtle meaningful designs. Still after gap of centuries, the fading Naga tattoo culture presided by head hunters were revived by modern tattoo artists.

Traditionally Naga tribes believe that there is a deep meaning, value and belief hidden inside the age old ink art of their region. Especially the head hunter tribes of Nagaland, strongly believes that each traditional ink art bears powerful meaning. Head hunter tattoo represents power of the person who bears the symbols.

In the passage of time the Nagaland authority under the influence of Christianity during British rule had banned head hunting practice. Today Nagaland’s Government and tattoo artists are making a joint effort to revive and popularize the traditional ink art by exposing it in global platforms of tattoo.

Famous Hornbill Festival cum Exhibition is a favorite podium for international clients from England, New Zealand, Cananda, Ireland, Norway and Australia. Foreigners flock to Hornbill Festival to explore rich inking tradition of Nagaland at a most compatible price.

Dedicated contributors like Mo Naga, Lemsentong, Nokrenmatang Soyah and Taka Jamir are the united force in bringing Nagaland’s rich inking art so far. Without this united force, Nagaland’s tattoo art would have remained concealed from global percept.

Naga’s intrinsic and valuable inking style has driven many foreigners to sport its art. Familiarize Naga tattoo art globally and help revive the soon fading culture by mapping it international elite tattoo circuit. Bringing greater hope to the local practitioners to carry ahead their tattoo tradition and assist modern artists in revealing historical facts associated to symbols set by earlier tribesmen.

Passionate artist and renowned figure in international tattoo domain, Moranngam Khaling known popularly as Mo Naga has left his lucrative assignments. To retreat back to his origin, Nagaland where he was brought up to promote Naga tattoo culture globally. In more creative depiction, the subtle meaning of Naga tattoo symbols through close research on indigenous art of tribes. Mo Naga’s passionate tattoo creations had included him in prestigious "The World Atlas of Tattoos" as one of the 100 artists.

Single handed attempt to expose concealed valuable art of Naga tattoos to the world had fetched him elite honor to get his work highlighted in the "World Tattoos Master Flash Collections". Along with legendary figures in tattoo making like El Hardy and Horiyoshi III even Mo's name is included, giving major outbreak to Naga's ethnic tattoo culture.

This Manipuri DNA tattoo artist, mistakenly born in Nagaland, today due to Naga culture’s essence is accredited in 2009 as India's Best Tattoo Artist by Hindustan Times after careful survey of his indigenous art. Extensive research on Naga culture has made him a scholar in this field where international tattoo designers shares his innovative views on ink art.

Inspired from head hunter tattoos, representing possession of power and bravery, Mo named his professional studio positioned in Dimpur including Guwahati, Assam as “Headhunters'Ink.” Celebrities to international clienteles flock to Mo’s studio for careful feedback on particular design concept and even share ideas before inking.

Before analyzing on tattoo layout it is important for the client to make close survey on the tattoo instruments for hygiene purpose. The syringe's seal should not be open before application. According to Mo, tattoo represents identity and for best effective result it should collide well to your environment for keeping intact your value.

For stronger bond with the clients, Naga tattoo artists guides on art that represent social and personal expression after careful research. To enhance customer’s personality in their existing circuit. Artists of Nagaland instill this quality from their past generation who developed tattoo culture with percept to display insight on their personal, belief, pride etc.  

The tattoo culture in Nagaland emerged much before 19^th century where Konyak and Sangtam tribe’s influence gave it dynamic and creative outlook to it. These tribes introduced multiple sophisticated handmade tools in the period of 19th century.

Evidence of their tools came to global exposure in 20th century when British named as James Philip Mills and Henry Belfour donated their collection of sophisticated handmade Naga tattoo tools to London Museum. Flat palette stick, thorn headed tool, mallet, needle lemon thorn, blue pigment, plant fiber or comb (for keeping intact into it dozen of tattoo needles). Naga’s inking tool could be notched to figure numbers of people tattooed.

Inking pattern of Naga symbolizes status, strength and pride. Male tattoos represent outline of human figure including powerful animal like tiger. Plus exceptional designs of feather and horns introduced by tribes to represent bravery, status and achievements in life. Interestingly Naga women tattoos are unique of geometric and textile pattern type. To indicate the marital status of Naga women a small tattoo is planted behind the knee to deter man from pursuing her. 

Geometric design female Naga tattoos divulged as representation of age, status, changes in life including personal affairs. Naga's authentic tattoo art is an amalgamation of concept derived from earrings, necklace, shawls and other textile materials including architecture, surrounding and environment. Spiritual concept tattoo signifying as 'divine passport' warranty, imprinted on corpse.