Rose or Tea Rose – Which works best for a tattoo? If you’re looking for a vibrant flower of many meanings, either of these will do quite well.
The Tea Rose is differentiated from the standard Rose by its larger blooms and pale or multi-colored hues. As a tattoo, it can convey many meanings similar to a regular rose, but the different shades and colors may also convey unique messages of their own.
This article looks at the history of the Tea Rose, its introduction to the world of tattoos, and the symbolism behind different styles and colors of tea roses.
What Is The General History of The Tea Rose?
The tea rose is fairly similar to a regular rose, with three differences:
- Larger blooms
- More pastel hues
- Taller bushes, almost to the point of being considered hedges, rather than shrubs.
Historically, the modern variants of the Tea Rose are hybrids between two older strains, the Adam Rose and the Tea Scented China Rose.
The Adam Rose was declared the first officially dubbed ‘Tea Rose’ by Peter Beales of England. It features a large doubled bloom with colors in the range from salmon to apricot to buff.
The Tea Scented China Rose comes in a variety of hues, and is named for the scent it gives off, which resembles a popular, high-quality and fragrant tea.
Hybridization of these two species has given rise to a wide variation of scents and colors, though the colors tend toward the paler end of the spectrum.
Tea Roses were formally named and identified as a separate group of roses in the 1800s, specifically 1810 and 1824, when the English introduced the Adam Rose and Tea Scented China Rose to European horticulture.
They were so highly valued, and originally so rare, that yellow tea roses were once considered a form of high-value currency.
History of The Tea Rose in Tattoos:
The history of the Tea Rose in tattoos follows much the same pattern as that of the common rosebush blooms. However, regular roses have been around in both arboreal and tattoo form for centuries longer – since the Persian, Greek and Roman Empires.
Since their creation in the 1800s, tea roses have been steadily incorporated with other rose designs. Often the only way to differentiate a tea rose tattoo from a normal rose is the hue and the shape of the bloom.
Tea rose tattoos feature paler, pastel colored blooms, or blooms of multiple shades and colors.
Tea rose tattoos will also often have the larger, fuller double bloom.
Roses and Tea Roses have become one of the mainstays of the tattoo industry, highly popular for their varied meanings and symbolism.
What Do Tea Roses Symbolize?
Because the most identifiable feature of a Tea Rose is the large double bloom, you’re unlikely to see them in rosebud form, which symbolizes new beginnings.
They also rarely appear in the deeper hues like red and black, symbols of extreme passion and loss.
Tea Rose Shape Symbolism:
Tea Roses are most often depicted in full bloom, symbolizing growth, achievement and maturity.
A bouquet of Blooming Tea Roses signifies gratitude and remembrance
Tea Rose Color Symbolism:
Yellow Tea Roses symbolize good cheer, renewal, and hope. They can also symbolize joy.
Pink Tea Roses symbolize charm and grace. It can also symbolize elegance.
Orange-Hued Tea Roses represent enthusiasm and new beginnings.
White Tea Roses, like regular white roses, symbolize innocence. They may also represent something sacred, even divine.
Blue Tea Roses, though rare, symbolize a fantastical goal, an unattainable ideal, or sensitivity.
What Do Tea Rose Tattoos Mean?
Tea Rose tattoos have almost as many meanings as regular roses.
Meanings According to Color:
Pink Tea Roses, aside from their symbolic references to elegance and grace, are often worn by cancer survivors as symbols of endurance and triumph.
A pink Tea Rose may also symbolize contentment, happiness in life and relationships and be worn as a symbol of balance achieved and maintained.
A yellow Tea Rose may represent a memory of hope, or joy. They may be used as a memorial for a lost friend or loved one.
A yellow Tea Rose my also serve as a reminder of the joys of living.
A Peach or similarly colored Tea Rose may mean a person has started a new path in life, one they are happy with.
A white or blue Tea Rose may indicate a memorial to something lost, or represent an unfulfilled hope, or a dream. They may also symbolize a sense of connection to the spiritual or the fantastic.
Multicolored blooms, or multiple Tea Roses in different colors, can have almost unlimited meanings, depending on number and hues represented.
Tea Rose With Other Symbols:
Tea Roses are most commonly used for rememberance. Paired with another symbol, they’re likely to mean rememberance of something significant.
Examples include:
- Tea Rose With Dagger – Rememberance of the struggle between violence and balance
- Tea Rose and Butterfly – Rememberance of Transformation, usually through a loving relationship
- Tea Rose and Clock – Rememberance of the Journey, or Timeless Feelings.
- Tea Rose and Skull – Rememberance of Growth and New Life after defeat of a major obstacle or difficulty.
There is no end to the meanings that can be conveyed through the incorporation of the Tea Rose.
Where Do Tea Rose Tattoos Usually Go?
The larger size of the blooms, as well as the greater intricacy involved, make this a great choice for larger areas, like shoulders, thighs, or the back.
Tea Rose tattoos are also a popular and beautiful choice for forearm tattoos, usually in the form of single blooms.
Characteristics And Styles of Tea Rose Tattoos:
- Most Tea Rose tattoos feature an open, or mostly open bloom, to separate them from the regular rose and show the intricate petal formations.
- Most Tea Rose tattoos will feature lighter colors, rather than the deep reds of more common rose tattoos.
- They’re commonly tattooed in a realisitic style, owing to their natural beauty.
- They may feature a more artistic illustrated rose appearance, especially when incorporated with other emblems.
- There are some gorgeous examples of impressionistic Tea Roses, featuring hidden faces or changing hues that create fantastic imagery.
If you’re looking for a stunning rose of many colors and meanings for your tattoo, a Tea Rose tattoo might be exactly what you’re looking for.
