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Body art, whether tattooing, body painting, piercing or other forms of epidermal decoration, has enjoyed conspicuous growth in the past ten or twenty years, and an abiding interest in books pertaining to it has developed along with it. The Bookologist recommends taking a second look at virtually any tattooing/piercing title that precedes the onset of this current rage. While some newer titles are in demand, those predating the 1980's will nearly always find a ready buyer at a good price. Look especially for anthropological studies of primitive groups - and, of course, illustrations are a huge plus.
In recent history, tattooing has often been associated with primarily criminal elements of our society and military personnel, but in the immediate past it's also become widespread among rock artists and sports figures as well. In the more distant past, ancient Egyptians, Polynesian islanders, Japanese and even European royalty (among others) have all been enthusiastic practitioners of tattooing. Similarly, Egyptian pharaohs (navels), Roman soldiers (nipples), and Mayans (tongues), and Victorian royalty (genitals) had a strong interest in piercing. Keeping these groups in mind will help you focus your online searches - oh, and don't forget Cher and Dennis Rodman!
A wealth of bibliographic material is in place online. A few of the better destinations include:
http://www.micropigmentation.org/LIBRARY/tattooing_bibliography.htm
http://www.msu.edu/~krcmari1/individual/history.html
http://www.lib.ohio-state.edu/hecweb/skin.htm
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