What is the History and Meaning Behind Ta Moko Tattoos?

Posted by: April on August 1, 2011 Under: Ta Moko Tattoos, Tattoo Designs, Tattoos |

Facts about the Ta Moko tattoos are found all over the net… but…

Ever wondered what Ta Moko tattoos are?

Are they like other tattoos that imbue normal body art or do they have a much deeper meaning?

Actually, these tattoo designs are known to be the permanent face and body markings of the Maori; they are the indigenous people from New Zealand. These markings are rather different from conventional tattoos because they are carved into the skin and not punctured. The skin is then left with grooves instead of having a smooth surface. Those marks are drawn with spectacular elegance and it resembles foliage’s in old ornaments and other forms that literally translate their heritage. These marks are considered as sacred and inviolable.

Ta moko tattoos are like other arts that are common in the homeland of the Maori and the ways they do this are similar to the methods that are being used in other parts of Polynesia. In those times, most high-ranking persons have these marks and those who don’t have them are being classified as someone of lower social status.

Getting these marks means a milestone of a person going through childhood to adulthood and many rites and rituals accompanies the time when it is done on that person’s skin. It is also done to be more attractive to the opposite sex. Men are normally placing these tattoos on their faces, buttocks and thighs while women have them on their lips and chins. These marks can be also found in a woman’s buttocks, foreheads, necks, backs and thighs and for men; on their stomachs, calves and backs.

The instruments that are being used to place Ta moko tattoos are chisels made from albatross bone and these are being struck into the skin with the use of a mallet. The ink or pigment being used are made from burnt timbers for a blacker face color and also mixed with fat to form other pigments. These pigments are stored in a vessel named oko and is buried when not in use. This oko is being passed on to the successive generations of the race. Placing Ta moko tattoos have undergone a change when in the 19th century, needles replaced chisels as the main tools.

Men stopped sporting these marks in the 1860’s while women continued receiving them. Ta moko tattoos are now being used as a sign of cultural identity and most of the time, these marks are being placed by a tattoo machine. These marks are still sacred and must be treated with respect.