Hourglass Tattoo Ideas

Popular Hourglass Tattoo Styles

In its basic design, the hourglass has remained unchanged for centuries. But in the hands of a talented artist, the hourglass tattoo can be created in a number of different styles. Some of the more popular include:

• Broken – Whether it’s to indicate an unwillingness to submit to time or to show that you will not be controlled by convention, the broken hourglass design can be a powerful statement maker.
• Ornate  – Intricate line art and design brings out the beauty of the hourglass form.
• Surrealistic – This hourglass tattoo style looks like it was taken from a fever dream.
• Traditional – In this style, the hourglass retains its classic form. 

Best Flash Hourglass Placements

With a compact shape, there are a number of places where an hourglass tattoo can be placed on a body. Some of the more popular include:

• Forearm – This is a great location to showcase your hourglass design. 
• Hand – Placing an hourglass tattoo here is a bold choice that can say you have time, or destiny, in your grasp.
• Wrist – This is a great location for a simple, minimalist hourglass tattoo.
• Back – If you don’t have any other tattoos on your back, you’ve got an open canvas to get creative with a big, bold, intricate hourglass tattoo.

Women’s Hourglass Tattoo Ideas

The hourglass tattoo has become an increasingly popular choice for women. Some of the most selected styles are: 

• An ornate frame – Detailed line work and the addition of natural elements like flowers and plants can transform an hourglass into a beautiful symbol of life.
• A celestial scene – In this hourglass tattoo design, the moon and stars encircle the hourglass form creating a magical, mystical scene.
• Hourglass and butterflies – There are two different versions of this popular design. In one, butterflies flit around the hourglass. In the other, butterflies can be found flying out of a broken hourglass.

Men’s Hourglass Tattoo Ideas

Men often decide on an hourglass tattoo because of its symbolism and deep roots into history. Some of the more popular styles of hourglass tattoo designs for men include:

• A minimalist approach – Strip away everything except the most basic elements of the hourglass design so the focus can stay on the meaning of the art.
• Skull + hourglass – This hourglass tattoo design merges the symbols of death and rebirth in powerful (and creative) ways.
• 3D  – With the right shading and line development, not only can the hourglass tattoo appear to be in three-dimensions, but it can also give the feeling of motion.

Hourglass Tattoo Meanings

The hourglass holds an interesting position in society. Everyone knows what they are but you don’t find them in a person’s home and yet, we have held onto them because of what they represent. A person who chooses to get an hourglass tattoo will generally do so because they are seen as symbols of:

• The passage of time

• The balance of life and death

• A memento mori

• Rebirth