Harlequin Tattoo

Do you have a desire to decorate your body with an extraordinary tattoo? We advise to evaluate the visual performance and meaning of the tattoo depicting Harlequin – about this we will talk further.

Meaning of the Harlequin tattoo

Harlequin, aka the jester or paget, is a hero of Italian folklore to whom such qualities are attributed:

  • Limitless merriment;
  • Light-heartedness;
  • Trickery;
  • Shortsightedness.

If we turn to the works of Dante and his Divine Comedy, Harlequin is one of the devils. There the character is characterized by cunning. But we look further back to the origins of this symbol, and Harlequin came to Europe from Indian epics. The Indian epos considered Harlequin a symbol of idealism, because he was endowed with the ability to always be surprised by everything around him.

In India, this character was endowed with a rather profound symbolism, namely:

  • The ability to surprise people;
  • The beginning of a new turn in life;
  • The ability to make one’s own choices.

The above gives an opportunity to draw a parallel with one of the older arcana of the Tarot, namely the Jester. Because of this, this tattoo adorns the bodies of those interested in esotericism and mysticism.

But the symbolism of the image of Harlequin as a body drawing was and remains ambiguous. Here, a cheerful smile at first glance can hide sarcasm or outright gloating over life’s hustle and bustle. The outward simplicity of a clown can hide the depth of knowledge and determination to go into new things without hesitation. And behind the ridiculous costume and painted face may hide the passion or even lechery nature Harlequin.

Most often, such a tattoo is decided only by those people who are not embarrassed to joke and laugh unrestrainedly at themselves. However, such people are aware of the deep and multifaceted meaning of the Harlequin tattoo.

It should be noted that the Harlequin symbol is considered as their talisman by connoisseurs of gambling, card games in particular. For these people, the tattoo emphasizes their willingness to put everything on the line for the sake of the goal, but at the same time – the ease of making such a decision.

Places for tattoos

The choice of location for a Harlequin tattoo depends on how big the design is. Also learn your own desire regarding the visibility of the tattoo. However the observations of the tattoo masters themselves allow us to allocate the following areas of the body, where most often such a tattoo is placed:

  • The back – here most often prefer to apply Harlequin guys;
  • Arm (shoulder or forearm area);
  • Neck (usually the most preferred area of the skin under the ear) – here you can apply a small tattoo with a portrait or a symbolic image of Harlequin.

Female members of the fair sex can also do a tattoo with Harlequin. But we’d suggest you do it on the thighs or chest – it’s more effective.

Tattoo sketch

Despite the simplicity of the first impression of Harlequin, the sketch of a tattoo with this character should be chosen very carefully. Thus it is necessary to pay attention to the smallest details – a tattoo in color or monochrome, realism or in cartoon style, presence of additional objects in the picture.

Connoisseurs of monochrome or old-school style tattoos prefer those images of Harlequin, which are made taking into account traditional representations of the character. But today tattoo-masters can offer original sketches with high detail.