Every tattoo motif carries baggage: sometimes one tradition, sometimes several pulling in different directions. A koi in Japanese tradition means perseverance; in modern Western tattoo culture it has picked up adjacent meanings. This section gives you the cultural origin of each motif and how the meaning has shifted in modern tattoo culture.
Read these before you commit. Knowing the meaning helps you decide if a motif fits your reasons, or if a related symbol carries the meaning more accurately.
