Another type of tattoo that has gained immense popularity among tattoo enthusiasts is hourglass tattoos. They can solely depict many deep meanings; however, adding other elements to your hourglass tattoo is also another good option to personalize it. People wear this type of ink art on the sleeves or theme it with meaningful ideas.
This article will exclusively focus on the meanings of hourglass tattoos and some tattoo ideas. Here we’ll give you a chance to look at the hourglass with some fun and different perspective. We hope that you will get some ideas the next time you hit a tattoo shop.
The Symbolic Meaning of Hourglass Tattoos
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Generally, both men and women want to get inked with an hourglass tattoo design due to its eye-catching and attractive composition; however, the foremost purpose of wearing an hourglass is its symbolic significance and importance in one’s life.
When there was no clock, there were hourglasses to get the correct time estimate. Thus, the symbol of time is an hourglass for the past centuries.
Time is one of the most precious gifts given to us by nature, but due to our stupidity and idiocy, we sometimes don’t value that time as much as it deserves. We usually realize this mistake when it’s too late.
There will come a day when the time will fly away like sand in an hourglass. The speed of time is faster than the blink of an eye. To remind us on every point when we are wasting this valuable time we need an alarm, and a tattoo of an hourglass can become your reminder till the day you are breathing.
One thing that we have to keep in our mind and our brain is that life is a one time opportunity and wasting it like that is just not right. People who value the gift of life will never want to waste their precious hours and for them getting a tattoo expressing what they believe is an excellent choice.
Let’s move on to different ideas and compositions of hourglass tattoos.
Variety of Hourglass Tattoo Compositions
Art is an expression and expressing your inner self through various designs is very empowering and bold. An hourglass is a dark explanation of a connection that lies between life and death. It is the scariest feeling ever when at one point we feel we have everything and the other moment there is nothing; there is no you.
However, this mixed feeling of happiness yet having an idea about losing everything one day gives one a boost to make the most out of time.
Getting an hourglass tattoo to remember the feeling of losing everything is a good choice. A normal and complete hourglass alone is a complete depiction of what you need, but personalizing these ink designs with other compositions and tattoos is also a good idea. It enhances the design, both aesthetically and meaningfully.
Here you will find out some great combination of an hourglass with other designs. Also, you will be able to know their meanings and placements. Have a look:
Bat Wings Attached To an Hourglass
When someone chooses bat wings and an hourglass as a combination, then they want to depict time flying by along with an angel of death approaching them. Adding phrases may increase the impact of the tattoo and its significance and make it stand out among others.
A twisted holder with bat-winged hourglass and some appealing calligraphy will complete this tattoo in a very positive and happy way. There are various places on your body where you can wear it, e.g., chest, forearms, and thighs, etc.
A Combination of Roses and Hourglass Tattoos
Roses depict love, harmony, and joy whereas an hourglass depicts the value of time. When both of these powerful symbolic totems are combined, it changes the whole meaning. If you ever happen to see someone with a similar tattoo, then know that the person loves time and can’t afford to waste it for one’s happiness.
It also reminds us of an American saying, “Take some time to smell roses.” This overpowering and bold motif can be a good design for your back, biceps, forearms or the sides of your thigh.
Hourglass Tattoo and the Skull
When you select an image where there is a skull at the top of the hourglass, and the sand is running away, it is purely an indication of the fruitful gift of life and end of this transitory period. It signifies mortality and transience. It shows that when life starts this hourglass is turned upside down and over the years the sand drops through the neck to the other side. Once all the sand goes on the other side and the angel of death comes to capture our souls.
It holds a very deep meaning about life and death and the value of time. Your bicep or forearms or thigh could be the best placements for this deep and soulful theme.
“See the World” Through an Hourglass
With the inverted commas you guys would have understood that this must be a quote or a saying. You are right; it is a combination of an hourglass tattoo with this eye-opening saying by William Blake.
There is an eye crafted on the top chamber, and then on the bottom chamber, there is an illustration of the world. You can write the saying anywhere near the hourglass. It could be in a calligraphical way or a normal font; it all depends on what you like.
You are giving the meaning of your illustrated image in words through the saying. The whole tattoo design depicts that enjoy and have fun, explore the world until you have time. It can become a decorative motif on your chest, or your biceps or your thigh or even calves. Women can also have it at the back of their neck.
Time Is Money
Instead of showing the dropping sand a few people may prefer money, be it coins or notes. We think it is very creative and insightful. You can interpret it in two ways. If you have time you can make money, but money can never bring back the time that has already gone.
Secondly, it takes hard work and time to make money. To make your tattoo aesthetically artistic and creative, you can give your hourglass a curved shape and give the glass and the wooden part some shine.
You can rock this image on your back, forearms, abdomen, thighs, calves, and chest. It can look amazing if you execute it with perfection.
Carpe Diem and Hourglass Connection
The good part is that both of these represent time and its value. Carpe Diem means to make the most out of the time that is present and also to give some thoughts about the future or at least to have a vague plan for the near future.
It simply identifies that to have opportunities you have to make one for yourself. Crying and wailing about the past and the opportunities that you must have missed due to some issues won’t do any good to you.
It needs constant reminders to think like this and what else could be better than having a tattoo on your body that will remain with you till all the sand drops to the lower chamber. A constant reminder will look best on your lower or upper forearm where you can easily look, and another place that will rock with this tattoo is your chest or side of your abdomen. These placements are our personal favorites for this tattoo, but you can have it anywhere you want.
Owl and an Hourglass
The owl is symbolically known for its wisdom and knowledge, and an hourglass depicts time. When you combine the illustration of an owl with an hourglass, it symbolizes that wisdom and knowledge come with time.
The more you spend time gaining knowledge the wiser you will get. This tattoo can rock on various parts of your body including calves, forearms, side of your chest, side of the abdomen and back as well.
Conclusion
We hope that all of you who read this article would have understood the connection between life and time. Hourglass is the best image to depict the importance of both the things without which our existence is questionable.
So, if you are planning to get a tattoo that will keep you on the right path and that will always guide you toward betterment, we don’t think that there would be a better choice than getting an hourglass tattoo with other totems or simply just an hourglass. May you find some inspirations and ideas from this article for the next tattoo that you are planning to get. Once again, we want to remind you that as Alan Lakein said: “Time is equal to life, therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life.”
