One of the defining traditions of Maori is the art of Ta Moko - Tattoo.And over the last two decades there has been a huge revival of interest in adorning the body with traditional designs that reflect a person's personal ancestry.
It was no light operation in the old days, when designs were carved into the skin with a small bone chisel (uhi) that was tied to a handle and tapped with a piece of wood. A bluish pigment was rubbed in and when the face (or other body parts) healed, the tattoo furrowed the skin. These days, although it is arm, back, shoulder and thigh tattoos that are the most common, some are also applying Ta Moko to their faces in the traditional male manner.
It was no light operation in the old days, when designs were carved into the skin with a small bone chisel (uhi) that was tied to a handle and tapped with a piece of wood. A bluish pigment was rubbed in and when the face (or other body parts) healed, the tattoo furrowed the skin. These days, although it is arm, back, shoulder and thigh tattoos that are the most common, some are also applying Ta Moko to their faces in the traditional male manner.
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