new tattoo... more pictures and explanation
After showing the artist a bunch of photos I've taken of pearls I like, this is the sketch he came up with.
outline in progress:
outline done:
shading... dig that earlobe:
all done:
tattooer and tattooees:
The pearl is a very common element in Chinese art; virtually every dragon has a pearl under its chin or just out of reach. A depiction of two dragons fighting over a pearl was a common theme in ancient Chinese art, and can still be seen all over stairways and pillars in historic sites in Beijing. It's the most precious gem in the eyes of the dragon, and is tied to yang forces.
In some stories, the dragon's pearl has the power to make things near it thrive and multiply.
It's also tied to Daoism which links it with the moon, the earth, thunder, truth and life. Zhuangzi tells a story about the emperor losing his pearl, and only getting it back once he gave up trying everything in his power. As the dragon is the symbol of the emperor, the pearl is the one thing the most powerful and wealthy person is always seeking.
It's occasionally considered one of the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism, and represents enlightenment.
I've been taking pictures of examples of the pearl since I first noticed it the last time I was in China. Unfortunately I've lost all my photos from the Forbidden City, but the pearls in the Summer Palace and the Confucian sites are gorgeous.
Its placement on my back is important too; it's the third eye of the face that's slowly coming together.
The artist is a great guy named Wu Lun (unsure of the characters) who has a small studio in a hutong around Houhai, around the corner from Huxley's (the expat bar). He speaks exactly one word of English ("yes") and Shoshannah and I shared our dinner with him and his three friends at the studio before starting on my tattoo. He was excited to hear that I'll be back in Beijing next summer; I hope he doesn't change locations.