Cotton tattoo meaning and symbolism

Cotton is a material that finds its use in almost every sphere of human activity.

Since ancient times, cotton has been used as a symbol of purity and the afterlife. This is evidenced by numerous burial shrouds over which patterns were sewn or embroidered from flax or silk.

Glamour said in their article that cotton tattoos can represent mother love.

In the Indian system of beliefs, cotton is a symbol of virtue. In Buddhism, it’s associated with purity and immortality.

In Europe, cotton was known from the 16th century as a product that comes from India.

cotton plant arm tattoo
cotton plant arm tattoo @carrot.tattoo

Even in colloquial speech, cotton is used as an expression denoting the highest praise of a person.

It’s still used in our time for making burial shrouds, which makes it an integral part of the cult of ancestors and traditions.

Cotton tattoo design ideas

As a rule, all cotton tattoos on women depict white flowers and sprays. These images look beautiful and delicate on women’s skin. On the other hand, images of cotton on men’s bodies are quite rare.

Practice shows that cotton designs are quite often used by those who have already chosen a particular tattoo style, for example, watercolor tattoos or minimalist ones. This is explained by the fact that such an aesthetic approach to design is perfectly complemented by such a subject as cotton, which also has a very subtle and light coloring.

Cotton tattoo designs can be applied in different ways, for example:

  • on its own, as a single image;
  • combined with other elements of nature.
  • One of the most widely spread motifs is a combination of cotton with symbols denoting purity or rebirth, such as water lilies or lotus flowers.

This combination is quite logical, as the water lilies can be used to symbolize purity and rebirth.

It’s interesting that in the case of cotton tattoos, these elements are not usually combined with any other signs and meanings.

When choosing cotton tattoos, it’s important to consider their placement on the body. As a rule, cotton patterns are very effective when applied to the area behind the ear or on the back of women. On men, the forearm is considered the most suitable location for this motif.

Cotton plant chest tattoo
Cotton plant chest tattoo @reyhanbeyenirsoy

In some cases, a white flower can be enough to decorate a woman’s skin. In others, it will be necessary to add leaves or balls of cotton on stems. With regard to men, an image of loose-hanging balls of cotton is quite popular. This pattern looks very stylish on men’s bodies.

References

https://www.glamour.com/gallery/flower-tattoo-designs