Chap, xix.] 



TATTOOING. 



425 



of the Chinese servant is drawn from one which I bought at a 

 manufactory of funeral properties in Hong Kong. 



The Chinese are not now tattooed, but in Japan the art of 

 tattooing has reached far greater perfection than anywhere 

 else. Formerly all the coolies were tattooed, often all over 

 the body, but now the practice is forbidden by the Japanese 

 Government as Iwrbarous, and it is a criminal offence to practise 

 the art. 



The tattooing was done by special artists, who made this 

 their business. The outline of the subject to be tattooed is 



HEAD OF FIGURE BURNT AT CHINESE FUNERALS. MADE OF PASTE-BOARD. 

 (1 o show the mode of painting the face.) 



first sketched on the skin with great care with the point of a 

 fine brush with Indian ink. The subjects are copied from 

 printed pattern-books, which are very al)undant in Japan, 

 suited to all classes of decorative art. 



The outline having been drawn, a light wooden handle, like 

 that of a camel's-hair brush, is used, having about five or six 

 fine needles set in its end in a straight line. The needles are 

 dipped in Indian ink, and the fingers of the left hand being 

 used as a guide, the outline is cut in on the skin by a series of 

 punctures with the needles, which in the hands of a skilful 



