Something interesting happens when the linguistic sign gets the added value of being in another language. Language isn’t just the signifier/signified relationship of the word’s meaning, but also contains the added social value of the foreign language as it is read by others—no doubt indexing the owner’s global cosmopolitanism. Why tattoo “love” on your arm when you can tattoo amour or 愛? Love isn’t just the boring old “love” of English, but acquires the added bonus valence of French or the “artistic beauty” of the ideographic […]

Categories: Bodies, China, Language, Mystery Objects, Value • Tags: Chinese Character Tattoos, Chinese Tattoo, cosmopolitanism, foreign language, tattoos