The first electric tattoo machine from 1891, preserved pieces of tattooed skin, photos, tribal implements, books – just a sample of the exhibits to be seen at the newly opened Amsterdam Tattoo Museum. A unique kind of museum because you can also offer up an arm, leg, buttock, neck, chest, etc., as a ‘pallet’ for the tattoo artist.

The items in the collection were, until recently, all stored at the home of the world famous ‘Tattoo King’ Henk Schiffmacher. He’s a collector of all things tattoo-related and has objects from all over the world. The entire collection has now found a new home in a number of buildings in the centre of the Dutch capital.

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The museum is meant to become a unique international centre covering all aspects of tattooing, from know-how to documentation, including a library and bookshop. There will also be space for eight tattooists to work, with different artists invited to Amsterdam from all over the world taking turns to demonstrate their skills for real ‘in house’.

Henk Schiffmacher (59) - whose tattoos grace the bodies of celebrities such as Robbie Williams and members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam, as well as the late Kurt Cobain – will also be one of the regular ‘in-house’ tattoo artists at the museum.

The museum’s main financier is businesswoman Jeanette Seret. She made her fortune running re-integration projects for socially-disadvantaged people. As a result, there are also plans for the Tattoo Museum to provide work experience places for 300 people from this group each year.

(tf/hs)