From time immemorial body art has been with
man; ancient people and tribes had scarification, body paintings and drawings. Scarification
were incisions put on the body; for instance, the men in some African tribes
scarify their faces and bodies as, or for purposes of tribal identification or
rituals, while body paintings and drawings were achieved using earth and plant
dyes or pigments usually for aesthetic reasons. These designs were not
necessarily detailed decorations.
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| Elaborate tattoo on the back |
In modern times however, tattoos are still
with us, or have made a comeback mainly as a form of self expression by the
youths majorly, and especially in the urban centres. But wherever else you see tattoos,
it has remained for the same primordial reasons of tribal aesthetics, ritual or
religious and ceremonial purposes, etc. In Igbo traditional settings for
example, the Uli design which is primarily a form of wall decoration, was also
extended to body beautification especially of maidens whom most of the time
were rather scantily dressed with cloth but with heavy adornment of beads.
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| Uli body decoration of the Igbo |
Also, in the northern or Hausa/Fulani
dominated regions of Nigeria, Lali is a popular body art also especially of the
female folks. Many at times these adornments were put up for one celebration or
ceremony or the other such as virginity rites or wedding preparations of
maidens, etc. All of these and more are tattoos in their rights, and they have
today returned with a rather different swing.
