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The DAGGER and the SKULL both have their own symbolic properties when occurring alone, and a tattoo that combines the two images essentially depicts the meanings of both. The dagger was a favorite weapon among assassins and the skull symbolizes death. In prison tattoo, the dagger through the skull is the symbol of a killer.

Like most weapons, the dagger is part and parcel of violent aggression. But more than other types of weapons, it has also acquired some of its own specific symbolism. Easier to conceal and draw, the dagger became favored over the SWORD as a constant companion, and it became the favorite of assassins, coming to symbolize betrayal and treachery. Daggers in some cultures are of very specific shapes and carry special ritual meaning, such as the three-sided Tibetan phurba, which symbolizes the submission of demons.

A racist symbol that became popular in early American tattoo art, this tattoo shows an Asian head with a large DAGGER plunged through it, top to bottom, with the blade exiting through the mouth. Asian facial features as well as a queue or single braid of hair are reminiscent of American depictions of Chinese people at the turn of the century.

Daikoku is one of Japan's SEVEN GODS OF GOOD FORTUNE (Shichi-fuku-jin) and is the god of wealth and the guardian of farmers. Shown as a fat and happy man, he carries a wish-granting mallet in one hand (sometimes used to strike gold from the Earth) and a large bag of treasures slung over his shoulder in the other, as he sits on two bags of rice. Rats sometimes nibble at the rice, further emphasizing the theme of prosperity. In Japanese tattoo art, the Seven Gods of Good Fortune are sometimes shown together as part of a larger piece or they can be integrated into a bodysuit.

FLOWERS are a large part of the repertoire of tattoo artwork, and just as each has its own unique look, each also has its own special meanings. The daisy (from the Old English "day's eye") is a Western symbol, native to Europe. It has come to symbolize not only the coming of spring but also youth and innocence. "As fresh as a daisy" is a phrase dating back to medieval times and the flower has been used not only to foretell whether one will be lucky in love (by picking the petals) but it has also been used for medicinal purposes (applied to bruises, for example). In the fifteenth century, the Christian church adopted it as a symbol of the innocence of the Christ Child, less exotic and pretentious than the LILY. Daisies, with their large yellow center and white leaves, are popular in tattoo art sometimes alone, sometimes in a chain, sometimes with petals in the process of being plucked.

Many famous pieces of art find their way into tattoo imagery, including sculpture. While not all fine art is overtly symbolic, much of it does allude to great themes and myths. Michelangelo's fully nude David is one such masterpiece, reproduced and copied in infinite forms. A tattoo of David may hold particular personal meaning for the bearer that an observer might never know, perhaps marking a trip to Florence or simply admiration of fine art. But for Michelangelo, choosing David as the subject of his work was not a matter of taste or simply to interpret a story from the Bible. The size of the David statue was meant to proclaim the victorious struggle of Florence, where the sculptor's allegiance lay, to become an independent city-state. In keeping with his story, David came to symbolize both freedom and victory over tremendous odds. As a result of the statue and other artwork that plays upon his theme, David has also come to symbolize beautiful youth and heroism.