Praying Hands Tattoo Design
Praying hands tattoos actually date back to the 15th century.
They are commonly based on a sketch done by Albrecht Durer in Vienna in 1508.
The now famous sketch was not the finished product but rather done in preparation for a much grander work.
The final product was destroyed in a fire, but the sketch that remained has long been an iconic symbol of the Christian faith.
Today the image of the praying hands has been placed on medallions, religious documents and more recently tattoos.
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They are often done as an expression of religious devotion and spirituality. A recent and popular reasoning for the tattoo is as an expression of love for someone. Husbands have been known to get the tattoo in representation of their willingness to sacrifice anything for their wife. Couples will sometimes get matching tattoos with their names incorporated into the design to show their devotion and love for each other.
Praying hands tattoos have also become very popular choices for tattoos done in memory of someone who has died. They represent a prayer for them to be blessed and cared for in heaven and to be eventually reunited in heaven. This is usually done with the name and date of the person placed beneath the hands.
Though not included in the original sketch by Durer, some representations of this design will include rosaries especially those representing a connection to the Almighty. It has also been done as a tattoo in representation of the humbleness before the face of religion and acknowledgement of the power of prayer.
The praying hands tattoo design is often steeped in deep meaning for the wearer and is one of the few tattoo designs that is chosen solely for its meaning and rarely for the beauty of its design. Praying hands tattoos are normally done on a large scale with a large amount of detail in order them to the closely represent the work by Albrecht Durer upon which the design is based. It is commonly done in black and white but there are some designs which do incorporate small amounts of color.
The popular places for a praying hands tattoo are the arm, shoulder, back, or even on the feet. Since this tattoo is normally done for very personal reasons it can be done close to the heart as well to represent devotion to religion or in memory of someone that has passed.
While most designs will simply be just the hands, many are embellished with background images of the cross or the inclusion of a rosary. Even more extravagant designs will include entire background of sky scenes, or of rays emanating out from the hands. Common incorporations to the praying hands will include the name of a loved one or words chosen to represent devotion to the Almighty.
As with all other tattoo designs the more space designated to the tattoo the more detail will be able to be incorporated. While it is rare for many changes to be made to the actual design of the hands the design of the background can be as creative as you like with many different Christian aspects tied in. Since the hands themselves rarely incorporate color some people will use the addition of a background to add color to the tattoo.
Celebrity Praying Hands Tattoos
Celebrities have also chosen praying hands tattoos in memories of a loved one. Allen Iverson of the NBA has a praying hands tattoo that includes the names of his mother and grandmother. Ludacris had a praying hands tattoo on his left shoulder. Christina Ricci put her praying hands tattoo on her hip.
However and wherever you choose to represent your praying hands tattoo you will always remember its deep meaning and significance to you as one of the most widely recognized and symbolic tattoos available.
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