Originally posted on November 18, 2021 @ 9:40 am
Since the Neolithic period, which was around 2300 BCE, tattooing has already been widely practiced. There were mummified skins with permanent markings on them, and both men and women had several tattoos across their faces and body. Tattoos had long existed, even before the Bible, and it was the earliest form of self-expression.
For tribes in the era before Christ, tattoos were a way of warding off predators. The more tattoos a person had, the scarier they looked, thus, large predators like lions and bears were not keen on eating them. Art institutions consider tattooing as the oldest art form, and it signified many things. For example, according to the Smithsonian, tattoos could be an expression of love or a form of punishment.
In Egypt, tattoos were commonly seen on females, meaning they were either royalty or high priestesses of Hathor, the goddess of fertility. This means that tattoos weren’t worn by common ladies or prostitutes, as modern society would have us believe.
However, when men came into power during European Imperialism, tattoos slowly started becoming taboo, especially on women. Since the practice was unfamiliar to these haughty Europeans who believed their knowledge was supreme, they killed off the culture of tattooing in countries they colonized, especially in Asia and Africa.
The act of banning tattoos, especially on women, was ironic since it is believed that the oldest tattoo artists were women who understood symbolism and color. Now, tattoos are starting to gain popularity again, with women at the forefront of the tattoo industry.
Tattoos are now more colorful, feminine, bolder and are placed in areas where they can be admired by all. So, here are some rib tattoo ideas for women, so we can show everyone what tattoos genuinely mean and why they should be appreciated.
Rib Tattoos For Women:
Rib tattoos for women can come in different sizes. Some women prefer small ones, while others prefer their side rib tattoos to cover their rib cage completely, even extending to under the breast. Here are some symbolic female delicate rib tattoo ideas for women ranging from small to large.
1. Text tattoos
Minimalists like to have text tattooed on their rib cages. These tattoos can be one word like love, peace, and happiness, or they can also be famous quotes from a person they idolize. Tattoos could also be large chunks of text taken from a book, a movie, or a song.
Text tattoos are often solid lines in black, but some women have incorporated color into their text tattoos, making them even prettier. For example, a quote from a movie can be accompanied by an object that can only be seen in the film or a recognizable color palette like the one from La La Land.
2. Flowers
Flowers are always a good idea for a tattoo, wherever it is placed. On women, flowers running down the side of the rib cage look dainty and classic, especially when colored. Some women, however, prefer to have large blooms on their ribcages.
These tattoos could be a sprig of daisy, a single sunflower or rose, or a bouquet of different flowers. These flower tattoos could also be incorporated with text tattoos, depending on what it means for the wearer of the tattoo. Aside from flowers, a branch or a leaf could also be beautiful, especially when colored.
3. Butterflies
Since flowers are on this list of rib tattoo ideas for women, it’s a brilliant idea to create a garden on a woman’s rib cage by incorporating some butterflies. For a lot of people, including women, butterflies signify elegance and grace. It could also possibly mean that the woman is honoring someone who has passed in her family and that she believes that the person is reincarnated as a butterfly.
Whichever the meaning behind it may be, butterflies always make a pretty tattoo. It can be one solitary butterfly or a kaleidoscope of butterflies. These tattoos can also be in solid black lines or colored in.
4. Minimalist tattoos
A mountain range from the woman’s hometown, an airplane is flying through the air, a favorite constellation or a pawprint are examples of minimalist tattoos that a woman can place on her rib cage. Minimalist tattoos are made of thin, clean lines, often without shading.
This style has been gaining popularity over the past few years, and more women are getting creative with their minimalist tattoos. These minimalist tattoos look great colored, but some women prefer simple and solid black outlines. An example of a colored minimalist tattoo is a rainbow or a heart filled in with many colors.
5. Arrows
Arrows are a symbol of strength and direction, and women have taken to tattooing arrows on their bodies to signify that they’ve gone through a battle and emerged the victor. Arrows can either be thick or thin, colored or in black, in a quiver or solitary. Some arrow tattoo designs are vertical, while others are horizontal.
It may mean something to the woman, like an arrowhead pointing up, which could mean that there is no other way but up or an upward struggle to reach something. The design could also be chosen because of its simple aesthetic.
6. Mermaid tails
There has been an influx of water-related tattoo designs placed on different parts of the body, like waves, mermaid scales, or a seashell, but perhaps the most popular water-related tattoo design for emerging in recent years is the mermaid tail.
A tail that looks like it is emerging from the waters can be placed on the part of the rib cage where the bra line always is to make it look like a mermaid diving in the water and flipping her tail in the water before fully submerging. The design can take many forms and colors, but mermaid tales always make for a uniquely pretty tattoo, whatever look it may have.
7. Birds
Birds are a great alternative to butterflies. Bird tattoos can mean freedom or the desire to fly, but they can mean independence, peace, and happiness for women. These bird tattoos can come in many shapes or sizes.
It can be a solitary bird or a flock, and they can be intricately detailed or look like simple black outlines. Some bird tattoos are also brightly colored, to the point that they look like they’re ready to fly out of the woman’s body. There are thousands of bird tattoo designs to choose from, and women have made bird tattoos one of their primary design choices.
8. Mandalas
Mandalas first made an appearance in coloring books for adults. They are intricately designed, which comes from their history of being a spiritual guidance tool or an aid for meditation. Women have taken an interest in these mandalas and decided that they can be put on the body, making them a great addition to rib tattoo ideas for women.
Sometimes, mandalas can be made in solid black lines, but more women are opting for brightly colored ones that are extremely attractive. Some of these mandalas are small, but large ones with many designs are more popular among women.
9. Geometric shapes
Solid blocks of triangles, squares, and circles are becoming more popular as tattoo ideas, and women have incorporated a lot of designs in these geometric shapes. The negative space tattoo, an inverted design inside a shape, has quickly become a favorite among women and some men.
Some design ideas that use geometric shapes can be a bunch of flowers inside a triangle, a cartoon scene inside a square, or a colored galaxy inside a circle. Women have been wildly innovative with their geometric tattoos, creating stories and scenes with their designs of choice.
10. One-line art
One-line art started in the 20th century when Pablo Picasso created art using one unbroken line. Nowadays, one-line art can be found everywhere, from business logos to tattoos. The idea of creating a tattoo from one single line has become so popular that there was a time that tattoo artist offered one-line art tattoos as their primary specialization.
One-line art tattoos are often done in solid black lines, but more colored tattoos are making an appearance on women’s rib cages and other parts of their bodies. Typical designs of one-line art tattoos include a woman’s face or a flower.
Conclusion
Women have always been inclined to color and the arts, and for those who chose to decorate their bodies with tattoos, the results are almost always pleasant at least and gorgeous at most. Whatever a woman decides to put on her body is her prerogative, and it’s great to see that the stigma of women having tattoos is almost obliterated.
Tattoos symbolize the woman’s choice to tell the world that her body is her own and that no man can tell her what she chooses to do with it. If you’re a woman and you would like to get a tattoo, you can consider any of these rib cage tattoos for women to get as your first tattoo.
