Mostly the designs used for monkey tattoos are the many folkloric tales that monkeys starred in. One example of the monkey character from these great tales is from the Indian art called Hanuman the Monkey, which is an incarnation of Shiva - a Hindu god. Bravery, loyalty and devotion are among the distinct qualities of Shiva, the symbol of man and beast. A sample idea for a tattoo design is the monkey god chasing a flying sun.
Chinese monkey tattoos is yet another popular design depicting the animal as a god. There are actually several depictions for these Chinese monkeys reflecting different stories. Monkey designs may feature designs of woodblock-type image, or a simple kanji script reflecting the animal's 9th zodiac sign of the Chinese.
During the ancient times in Japan, monkeys were considered as messengers of the gods and symbolize harmonious marriage, fertility and safe child birth.
Monkey tattoos mostly illustrate the animal from their cute and charming images to caricatures.