Tattooing in Myanmar

Tattooing in Burma was a widespread custom practiced by various ethnic groups, including the Bamar, Shan, and Karen, until the 20th century.

[8] For black pigments, the soot was mixed with the dried gallbladder of fish or cattle in powder form, boiled in water and simmered with the leaves of bitter melon.

[9] A professional tattoo artist (မှင်ကြောင်ဆရာ or ကွင်းဆရာ) used a hnitkwasok, a long two-pronged brass or iron instrument with a 2 inches (51 mm) slit similar to a double-pointed pen, to pierce the skin.

[10] The tattooed patterns were ornamented pastiches of arabesques and animals and legendary creatures, including cats, monkeys, chinthe, among others.

During times of war, men they would lift their longyis and expose their legs, displaying the tattoos and marking them as a fighter of renown.

[14] Lethwei fighter Dave Leduc said that it is considered an important part of the process for the person receiving the Htoe Kwin to withstand the pain with stoicism.

It’s a rite of passage to become a man.”[15]Southern Chin women were also tattooed on their faces with closely set lines using blue pigments, ostensibly to discourage them from being kidnapped by invaders.