Here is where we start:

Here depicted in body art represents both physical sensual forms and their co - functional fantasies in which they represent; both artistic and sexual.

Here in this illustration we see the more impressionable forms of tattoo which represents more traditional forms being needled onto bodies world over. Feathers applied for modesty.

Here we get a more abstractural form.

Both represents how the body can be applied as to be used as living canvas, and that is the most probable reason for their rendering in the fist place.