Carrots and our culture go hand in hand for quite some time. Starting off as wild snacks that were actually purple and yellow until the familiar orange would start showing up in Spain, carrots have a rich history and their wild colors lend themselves to some excellent skin art options.
Today we’ll tell you a little more about Carrot tattoos so that you can get a taste of the symbolism, learn the most common types, some clever hidden meanings, and more! Read on to find out why carrot tattoos are not as strange an option as you might think – details are waiting for you in the sections below!
What is the History of Carrot Tattoos?
Carrot tattoos can come in a number of colors and the reason for this is the history of the carrot itself. While the modern ones that we are familiar with are a bright, cheery orange, in the year 900 A.D. most carrots were purple on the outside, with a ring of yellow on the inside.
Around the 15th and 16th century in Spain, orange carrots started making an appearance and as they didn’t statin your cookware purple, they quickly caught on! Early depictions of them have been found in Egyptian carvings (in this case, purple carrots), and they were believed to represent fertility and abundance, but anthropomorphized carrots would become popular in the modern day.
So, what’s the attraction? Mostly the bright and varied colors! The distinctive orange and the green top, couples with a set of eyes and even rosy cheeks, make for a cute and cheerful carrot. There’s even a ‘surrealist super hero’ known as the ‘Flaming Carrot’ who has also made his way into the skin art of today.
Whether you are designing a tattoo that depicts a bountiful harvest, a colorful character, or even adding a carrot for an animal to chase in a skin-art scene, rest assured that carrot tattoos aren’t as obscure or strange as you might think. As well-known and beloved as these veggies are, Carrot tattoos are definitely out there and here to stay!
What Do Carrot Tattoos Symbolize?
Carrots most commonly symbolize Nature’s bounty, nourishment, or even a love of gardening. More often than not, they are chosen for their bright color and their renown – after all, who hasn’t heard of carrots? Depending on what are trying to say, however, there are certainly other meanings which you could incorporate with carrot tattoos.
For instance, carrots can represent motivation, and some have even indicated as much by adding names in Carrot tattoos, employing the well-known ‘carrot hanging on a stick’ symbolism, to communicate that they feel like a powerful animal who’s been tempted by someone or something and made to move in certain ways.
The most common carrot tattoos aren’t even about symbolism at all, but rather this vegetable’s cheery color palette and how adorable it looks when you give it a face and perhaps even a pair of arms and legs, but you can still get creative.
After all, the ultimate meaning of something is not just that thing itself, but often what’s nearby as well!
What Do Carrot Tattoos Mean?
Carrot tattoos can mean a lot of things, from simple to complex, depending on what’s around and how they are drawn.
For instance, a cute carrot could just be there to show that the owner is warm and has a good sense of humor, but then you have to consider the expression on the face of the ‘humanized-veggie’, don’t you?
A carrot with an ex’s name and an Ox head might symbolize the lengths which the owner has gone when it comes to a particular person. On a less obscure level, a handful of carrots can show a love of gardening or serve as a nod to the generosity of Nature –brought with a little patience, love, and hard work.
Purple carrots can even indicate that the owner delights in history and is well-versed in the lore of the past. While Carrot tattoos seems simple on the outset, meaning is a complex thing, and there’s actually quite a lot that you can do with this deceptively simple – yet aesthetically pleasing – garden vegetable.
Where Do Carrot Tattoos Usually Go?
Colorful Carrot tattoos are typically placed somewhere that they will be noticed – though in all fairness, it’s hard to miss a deep purple, yellow, or the more familiar bright orange forms. That said, you’ll see them on shoulders or the outer arm the most, or you might find skin-art carrots decorating a cornucopia or a harvest scene on someone’s back.
That bright color really opens up your placement options, of course, and while you can hide Carrot tattoos in places such as the ankle, they have a definite perk of attracting instant notice when that is uncovered.
So, keep that in mind when you are choosing where to put your own carrot – put it where you like, it will be seen if someone is looking!
Characteristics and Styles of Carrot Tattoos
There are lots of different tattoo styles and individual design options when it comes to Carrot tattoos. Many go for an almost photorealism design when depicting them, if the owner is looking to communicate a serious love of Nature or gardening, while exaggerated styles such as New School are perfect for comic or caricature carrots.
Japanese tattooing styles are even an option, though you’ll want to be careful of the color if you are depicting an ancients scene, as the first Japanese carrots came about in the 14th through the 17th centuries and were definitely not orange, but rather purple or even yellow varieties!
As you can see, it’s not just the meaning that you have a lot of leeway with, but also the coloration. As such, there’s really quite a lot that you can do with Carrot tattoos, so be sure that yours gets a little love in the design phase and a carefully selected artist so that what you get is beautiful and 100% your own!
In conclusion – Carrots and tattoos actually have quite the history
While the thought of Carrot tattoos seems a little weird at first, the association of this vegetable with harvest and human history actually makes them a natural and aesthetically pleasing choice. Recognized the world over, the Carrot can symbolize a lot of things, so remember that when you are designing your next skin art.
Carrot tattoos are uncommon, but much less so than you might think!
