Animal designs are a hugely popular subject in tattoo culture. Of course, they have a powerful and beautiful visual impact, but they are also deeply symbolic. To celebrate our upcoming book, The Animal Tattoo Inspiration Compendium. We're going on a journey around the world to explore some of the cultural meanings behind popular animal tattoo designs, read on to find out more, and preview some of the amazing illustrations in The Animal Tattoo Inspiration Compendium.

Tattoo culture as we know it today has origins stretching back thousands of years. Tattooing has been practised across the globe since at least Neolithic times (1900 BC), as evidenced by the finds of mummified preserved tattooed skin and the archaeological record.