In the last few years, the idea of a chair tattoo has become ever-more popular. Somewhat surprising, really. A chair isn’t really the first thing that springs to mind when you are planning on getting a tattoo of a piece of furniture. On this page, we are going to take a look at the symbolism behind the chair tattoo.
What Is The History Of Chair Tattoos?
The history of chair tattoos is difficult to track. As with most tattoo ideas, one day they just appear. It isn’t like song lyrics. There is no one moment where chairs magically appeared and people started to get tattoos of them. It has very much been a gradual process.
Still, the history of the chair tattoo is pretty recent. It is only in the 2000s that people have really started to gravitate towards the more abstract tattoo ideas. Obviously, chairs are not abstract in themselves. People know what a chair is. However, it is rare one will know what a chair could potentially symbolize when somebody has it as a tattoo.
We don’t think there was really a tipping point where they became more prominent. However, a lot of people do notice that they started to become more widespread around the 2010s, which tracks with most other modern tattoo ideas. It is then that people really started to put huge amounts of thought into the symbolism behind even the smallest of tattoos.
What Do Chair Tattoos Symbolize?
This is going to be completely dependent on the chair being depicted. For some, the tattoo is going to be a symbol of stability and strength. For others, chair tattoos could be a symbol of relaxation.
What Do Chair Tattoos Mean?
The meaning behind chair tattoos can vary based upon the person that is wearing them. Depending on the wearer, you may see meanings such as:
- Relaxation
- Stability
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Feelings of being grounded
Of course, for some people, a chair is quite literally just going to be a chair. There is never going to be any deeper meaning behind it. Some pretty tremendous pieces of artwork out there have depicted this piece of furniture, and people just fall in love with the concept.
In our experience, most people aren’t really looking for the deeper meaning behind the chair tattoo. For example, they see the chair as a symbol of a place that they can kick back and relax at the end of the day. Nothing extreme. Just a place where they can chill. We are pretty positive that all of us like to be in chairs every so often.
Some people have seen a folding chair as a symbol of flexibility. You would have to look really hard to find that meaning there, but it certainly is going to be there.
Of course, if you really want to look at the deeper meaning of a chair tattoo, then you can look at what the chair symbolizes as a whole. It is a symbol of stability. It is a symbol that something is firmly rooted to the ground. While we can’t imagine that a lot of people choose the tattoo based upon that, we know that there are some out there that do.
If you want to go down a different path, then you may be surprised to know that people see an upside-down chair tattoo as being a symbol of instability and lack of support in life. Although, since there are very few people that get negative tattoos, you won’t really see it around all that much.
Where Do Chair Tattoos Usually Go?
These tattoos can go anywhere. A chair isn’t really all that big, after all. Some of the more common tattoo locations include:
- Wrist
- Upper arm
- Hand
- Thigh
- Shoulder blade
It doesn’t really matter where you position that tattoo, to be honest. At the end of the day, the tattoo is going to carry the same meaning. Unlike other tattoo types, the movement of the tattoo doesn’t change the meaning. Well, unless you put the tattoo upside down, as we explained earlier. So, if you are planning on putting it on the wrist, then you may need to think about that.
Characteristics and Styles of Chair Tattoos
There are a lot of different types of chair that you can get tattooed onto you. Each of them may carry a slightly different meaning.
For example, if you got a sofa, then it could be a symbol of relaxation. Although, some people also see it as a symbol of being driven and determined.
If you got a sunbed, then it is almost certainly going to show that you wish you were on a vacation or something.
Those that get stools, or even dining chairs, are the ones that are showing that they have a bit of stability in their life.
Of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of styles that you can have for a chair tattoo. You don’t really need to think too hard about the deeper meaning behind everything. You could get a tattoo that you genuinely love. As we said a bit earlier, there are some people out there that are basing the style on classic art styles, of which this piece of furniture has heavily featured in it.
You don’t even need to get just a chair. A lot of people pair it with other symbols, just to show that there is an even deeper meaning in what they are trying to showcase.
Final Word
While not all that common, chair tattoos have started to gain a bit of traction recently. This is because they are a sign of establish, comfort, and more. These tattoos work best when they are paired with other images. However, there are still plenty of people out there that choose a tattoo based on the symbolism behind it, or simply because they have a huge love of chairs. This means that while it isn’t a common tattoo, there are plenty of example ideas out there that you can follow.
