Horimono, Ukiyo-e and tattoo as protest

At the end of the 18th century, Japanese ornamental tattooing became more elaborate, assumed larger dimensions and became more and more popular.

Japan has been living under a feudal military dictatorship since 1603 and citizens are beginning to develop a strong class consciousness. These elaborate kimono-like tattoos worn by the working class serve as a response to the sumptuous clothing of the elite.

Between 1787 and 1793 they attracted the attention of the shogunate and the first laws restricting the practice of tattooing in Japan appeared.
The name horimono (carved object) comes from the tattooists' rejection of the term irezumi, used for criminal tattooing at the time. The word horimono is also related to the Ukiyo-e style wood engravings, so fashionable at the time.

Horimono and Ukiyo-e walk together and influence each other, sharing aesthetics and motifs.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horimono_(tatuaje)#Tatuaje_penal_o_irezumi
Moriarty, Yori. (2015) : Irezumi Itai. Traditional Japanese Tattooing. Gijón, Satori Ediciones.
Pinheiro Maués, Juliana (2019): Bravos citadinos: estudo das representações da tatuagem em estampas de ator do kabuki de Utagawa Kunisada. Repositório da produção científica e intelectual da Unicamp.