Samoan Tattoos Throughout The Polynesian Islands
Samoan tattoos
Throughout the Polynesian islands there are several different types, forms, designs and methods used in different cultures and islands. Two of the most popular and well known forms of tattoos and islands from Polynesia are Samoan and Maori, from Samoa and New Zealand.
The English word 'tattoo' comes from the Polynesian word 'Tatau'.
The traditional tattoo artists from Samoa that preformed the art on local Polynesian and indigenous tribes were predominately males, as it was a father-son practice, passed down through generations and generations. The father would teach his son and the art would be carried down through to the rest of the males in the family/ tribe. The tattoo artists or 'Tufuga' would go through years of practice …show more content…
In the 'au ta would be a variety of different sized 'au. 'Au were traditionally made from bone, which made up the comb as sharp little teeth to puncture the skin, the shell plate is what the bone is connected to, this shell plate, as it says in the name is traditionally made from turtle shell. Which is then joined to a carved wooden handle. All of these 'sections' are joined by coconut fibre.
Patterns and how people got their designs
The names of tattoos for men and women are actually different in the Samoan culture. Men's being pe'a which means 'flying fox' which also refers to the dark charcoal like colour. Women's tattoos are known as Malu, this translates to meaning to be protected and sheltered.
The two different 'types' of tattoos vary in a few ways. The pe'a almost completely covers from the knee up to the waist. The tattoos are all completely unique, although they may have the same patterns they won't be in the same spot, a similar idea to a zebra's stripes or fingerprints. Although the patterns don't relate to each other in a particular way, the order of the tattoo is always the same, the artist always completes the lumbar region of the back first and the navel (bellybutton) last. The navel tattoo is also known as the Pute. This showing that if a man doesn't have his navel tattooed he carries a reminder that he's a coward and couldn't complete the
Throughout the Polynesian islands there are several different types, forms, designs and methods used in different cultures and islands. Two of the most popular and well known forms of tattoos and islands from Polynesia are Samoan and Maori, from Samoa and New Zealand.
The English word 'tattoo' comes from the Polynesian word 'Tatau'.
The traditional tattoo artists from Samoa that preformed the art on local Polynesian and indigenous tribes were predominately males, as it was a father-son practice, passed down through generations and generations. The father would teach his son and the art would be carried down through to the rest of the males in the family/ tribe. The tattoo artists or 'Tufuga' would go through years of practice …show more content…
In the 'au ta would be a variety of different sized 'au. 'Au were traditionally made from bone, which made up the comb as sharp little teeth to puncture the skin, the shell plate is what the bone is connected to, this shell plate, as it says in the name is traditionally made from turtle shell. Which is then joined to a carved wooden handle. All of these 'sections' are joined by coconut fibre.
Patterns and how people got their designs
The names of tattoos for men and women are actually different in the Samoan culture. Men's being pe'a which means 'flying fox' which also refers to the dark charcoal like colour. Women's tattoos are known as Malu, this translates to meaning to be protected and sheltered.
The two different 'types' of tattoos vary in a few ways. The pe'a almost completely covers from the knee up to the waist. The tattoos are all completely unique, although they may have the same patterns they won't be in the same spot, a similar idea to a zebra's stripes or fingerprints. Although the patterns don't relate to each other in a particular way, the order of the tattoo is always the same, the artist always completes the lumbar region of the back first and the navel (bellybutton) last. The navel tattoo is also known as the Pute. This showing that if a man doesn't have his navel tattooed he carries a reminder that he's a coward and couldn't complete the