Black and grey ornamental owl tattoo with a lotus flower and scrollwork on the side of a torso, over the ribs.

Enlarged with AI from a smaller original

Ornate owl with lotus on ribs

Ribs · Black and grey · Photo

A detailed owl with a symmetrical face and wings sits above a central lotus flower, with scrolling filigree, feather-like patterns and dangling beads below. The work uses fine black linework with heavy solid black areas and soft grey shading, arranged in a tall, vertical composition. The tattoo covers the side of the torso, with a strip of jeans visible at the waistband.

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A story inspired by this tattoo · fiction

Brother Nebu, the owl came out of the mould with its eyes still wet from the sand, and I have had to hide it from the priests until the lotus is pinned beneath it. Do not tell Father that I used the good silver. The temple ordered a lamp, and a lamp it still is, only now the owl's head rises from the rim like a guard looking down on the room.

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The difficulty was the feathers. I cut every line of them by hand with the fine chisel you gave me, and when my eyes ran I stopped and let the light from the doorway fall across the work so I could see which grooves were deep. The scrolls came after, curling out from the owl's shoulders like smoke from a wick. The beads I hung from the lowest scroll on fine wire so they would chime when the door opens. Ahmose says they sound like rain on a roof, which is foolish, but I let him keep it.

I shaded the dark places with soot from the oil lamp, rubbed in and burnished so the black would not wear off under thumbs. The lotus at the centre I left open and pale, and I thought of you when I did it, since you always said the lotus opens only when the sun is high enough to bear it. The owl watches with two round eyes of dark stone, and I could not decide whether it was keeping the temple safe or keeping me honest. I think perhaps both.

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From the plentytattoo archive, uploaded by a user. Is this your work? Ask for credit or removal.