Thai Magic Tattoos

During the last twenty years tattooing has experienced a veritable renaissance in modern societies. For centuries before this, however, Buddhist monks, using magical incantations and spells, have been covering people's bodies with indelible ink marks in the belief that they will attract luck, wealth, and blessings, and provide protection against evil spirits and render the bearer invulnerable to stab wounds and even bullets. Known in Thailand as Sak Yant, these ancient tattoos are today experiencing a revival in poularity both in their own country and beyond. Fashion or social phenomenon, the demand for magical tattoos keeps on rising. Hollywood stars and Singaporean businessmen alike, flock to Thai Sak Yant masters to have these powerful designs inked onto their bodies. At the same time, Thai tattooists are regularly invited to practice their sacred art abroad thus increasing the popularity of Sak Yant worldwide. Filled with large format photographs, and approaching the subject from the perspective of the Sak Yant masters and the tattooed believers themselves, this book provides a unique window into their world, and in doing so illustrates one of the last living examples of authentic traditional tattooing.