A jasmine flower tattoo has a variety of meanings and is often associated with the virtues of love and affection.
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Jasmine Flower description
The jasmine (Jasminum spp.) is a popular climbing shrub from the olive family that is widely cultivated throughout the world for its beautiful, sweet-smelling flowers. There are more than 200 species of jasmine, but Jasminum officinale is the most common form that’s used as an ornamental plant.
This fragrant flower bears yellow blooms about 1 to 2 inches wide with five petals, and it produces black seeds encased in a husk-like pod. The word “jasmine” may be a corruption of an ancient Persian word that is possibly derived from the Sanskrit “syama,” meaning “dark blue.”
Jasmine flower meaning throughout history
The jasmine flower has a variety of meanings and is often associated with the virtues of love and affection. As such, it’s commonly worn as a crown on Hindu brides.
According to some sources, women in Renaissance Italy who wanted children would drink jasmine tea every day until they became pregnant.
It’s also said that young Italian girls wore garlands made from jasmine flowers around their necks while performing chores like picking grapes because this activity was thought to make childbirth easier and speed up recovery after giving birth.
There are some reports that the fragrant white blooms were used during some parts of the Middle Ages for strewing in rooms and to mask the smell of refuse and excrement. However, there’s no mention of this in cultural references from that era, so it may be a modern myth based on other practices such as burning jasmine incense or using the flowers in garlands for children.
In modern times, jasmine oil is used in aromatherapy and perfumes because its scent is said to promote feelings of relaxation and well-being.
Jasmine Flower Tattoo Meaning in different cultures
Since ancient times, the jasmine plant has been associated with love and affection due in part to its sweet fragrance that was used as an aphrodisiac by women in Italy during the Renaissance.
Some also attribute this association to the flower’s use as a symbol of fertility and sexuality throughout Asia, including an Indian custom where young girls wear garlands made from jasmine flowers around their necks while performing chores like picking grapes because it’s thought to make childbirth easier, speed up recovery after giving birth and help them bear more children.
In modern times, the jasmine flower is often given as a token of love, affection or respect to someone by placing one on their doorstep or giving it as a gift for Valentine’s Day or another romantic holiday.
The name “Jasminum” comes from Persian origins meaning “flower that never fades,” which also relates to its symbolism since some cultures believed that if you wore a flower of this plant it would never fade from your memory.
In Japan, jasmine flowers are given as a token of friendship since the Japanese word for friend is “yuujou.” Since these blooms have a sweet scent that’s often associated with love and romance, they also symbolize purity and chastity. This symbolism is similar to that of other flowering plants like honeysuckle since both represent an eagerness to embrace new experiences.
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Jasmine Flower Tattoo Design Tips
Jasmine flowers usually appear in nature as yellow or white five-petaled blooms with clustered centers containing stamens. However, simple white or yellow jasmines can be difficult to tattoo due to their small size and tendency to look other types of flowers from a distance.
When designing your jasmine tattoo, make your jasmine stand out by using large blossoms with fewer petals and stems that branch out to add more visual interest.
You can also add more vibrant colors to the stamens by painting them in red or pink ink. In addition, you can use a variety of different techniques when shading your tattoo design to give it some texture and depth, including long lines that follow the curves of the stems or blooms and circular patterns for shadows on leaves or petals.