A very popular character in Japanese Irezumi tattooing is the dragon (Ryu). In Japan, dragons are seen as benefactors and protectors of mankind, symbolising wisdom, strength and bravery.
It is said that the dragon takes on characteristics of animals it encounters throughout its life, so often the features can be quite different. Common features are a body more like snake, eyes like a rabbit or demon, ears of a cow, horns of a stag and scales of a koi. The colour of the dragon can also carry its own meaning, black shows experience and wisdom, green symbolises nature, gold represents value and virtue, yellow dragons are noble companions and blue are gentle and forgiving.
Have a look at some of the dragon sleeves our resident artists TomTom and Horiyama have recently completed.
TomTom
TomTom
TomTom
Horiyama
Horiyama WIP
Horiyama
Sunset Tattoo is the home of some of New Zealand’s most celebrated tattooists, and located on Cross Street of Central Auckland, just behind iconic Karangahape Road (K Road). We specialise in timeless, professional tattoo styles such as Japanese, America/western traditional and black work. With a friendly team, a gorgeous studio and decades of knowledge we would love to help you with your next tattoo project. For more information, get in touch with us.