In June 2012, Rihanna covered up her music notes tattoo and replaced it with a large Egyptian falcon. She shared a picture of the ink on twitter with the caption “Falcon: a light that shines in the darkness! Never close their eyes during sleep.” Bang Bang – who inked this tattoo – told US Weekly “It’s the first tattoo she wanted as a teen….She wanted it across her back back then.”

It appears as if the bird has been tattooed in a way to look like a handgun, although Rihanna could have gotten the inspiration for the tattoo from a 2,300-year-old faience falcon. The falcon is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where the tattoo artist does most of his work.

Rihanna told Oprah the meaning of her tattoo: “Back in the day, they would carve into the walls and they would carve a falcon, because they didn’t have another way of saying a king in the sky.”

Falcon: a light that shines in the darkness! Never close their eyes during sleep

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Jun 16, 2012 at 5:07pm PDT

@VogueMagazine Photos: @mertalas and @macpiggott Hair: @YusefHairNYC Makeup: @MarkCarrasquillo Fashion Editor: @tonnegood Fashion: @YSL

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Mar 17, 2016 at 11:49am PDT

Falcon shit!!!!

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Jun 16, 2012 at 5:01pm PDT

Attitude gyal #pouritup #bts #mtfphotography

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Sep 29, 2013 at 2:32am PDT

Late birthday gift, vintage Chanel anklet #CCcertified

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Mar 6, 2013 at 4:51pm PST

Time to get this bitch @mforde11 out the bed!!!

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Apr 11, 2013 at 11:42am PDT

She.

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Sep 28, 2013 at 10:33am PDT

Celebrity: Rihanna

Subject:Bird Falcon

Placement:Ankle

Theme:God King

Style:Black-and-Gray

Tattoo Artist:Bang Bang

posted by Linda on December 2, 2016

4 Comments

1. I know this is from a long time ago but…

   This is the Egyptian god Horus, son of Isis

   Reply

2. that shit is nasty u dont see j low or queen b doing that shit

   Reply

   • Are that stupid to compare Rihanna with Beyonce?

     Reply

   • you’re an idiot for comparing someone as beautiful as Rihanna two those…creatures, get a life

     Reply