them. Their permanent body and face markings called moko, was an important milestone between childhood and adulthood. Today the style of Maori tattoos are becoming more popular because of the intricate curved shapes and spirals that make these some of the most creative designs to be had.Tattoos of the Maori would be full face designs, as the head was considered the most sacred part of the body. Warriors would also sometimes have swirl tattoos on their buttocks and down their legs to the knees. Instead of needles the Maori used knives and chisels and the ink was applied by means of incisions. At puberty is when a young man would get his first tattoo, and then more would come to celebrate important events in his life such as rites of passage and to make himself more attractive to women. Enduring these painful tattoos was a sign of status, strength and courage. Tattooing was a very important Maori ritual that would include music, chant and fasting. Women were tattooed less frequently than men and their tattoos would usually be on the lips, chin or shoulders.
For the Maori, each pattern of their tattoo is a symbol of personal identification showing their rank, status and ancestry. If you are interested in this type of tattoo, you should never copy their designs. If you desire to have a Maori style design, you should find a tattoo artist that has experience with these types of tattoos and he or she can design one for you that doesn't have the symbolic meanings that are sacred to the Maori.
Today popular locations for a Maori tattoo is the arm, the top of the shoulder and down the arm, legs, the occasional buttock, on the back, and lower back for women. However some people do choose to have Maori designs on their chins and faces.
Maori tattoo art and traditional Maori tattoos are so incredibly unique; these particular traditional maori tattoos have their own identity and meaning among the Polynesian culture. Maori is a tribe that came from Polynesia to New Zealand. The word Maori is defined in the dictionary as to be "ordinary", "natural" or of the "normal". These Maori tattoos are anything but normal or ordinary. In fact, they hold such meaning and tradition that it is thought among the Maori people to be insulting to have a Maori tribal tattoo of this nature, outside of the Maori families or tribes.
Maori tattoo art is beautiful, bold and painful! The Maori tattoos consist of multiple designs placed over the entire body. They are beautiful shapes, symbols and dark, distinct patterns. Fabulous spirals are among the most common seen. Most Maori people will place these beautiful designs on their face, buttocks and legs. In the Maori language, these beautiful tattoos are called "Ta Moko" in the Maori tribe, which means to strike or tap. Traditional Maori tattoos are carved into the skin with a small chisel instead of punctured into the skin by a needle like we see now.
The Maori men generally have these designs tattooed over their entire body. The Maori women generally are tattooed on the lips, chin, back and neck. The tattoo is done with a chisel made of bone or animal tusk and takes hours, even years to complete. Today when someone has a tattoo like this done, it can take up to a year to complete.
Interestingly enough, the tattoo ink comes from a common vegetable substance and the other portion is from the caterpillar. The black tattoo ink that is commonly used for the face is made of wood that is heavily burned. Maori tattoo art usually will start around adolescence for the boys, and is used to celebrate a milestone event or series of events throughout their life, representing childhood into their adulthood.
Maori tattoo art and Maori traditional tattoos is still very much a common practice and gaining greater popularity in New Zealand today and many celebrities have adorned themselves these tattoos.
Maori tattoo designs are part of the Polynesian culture. The Maori people live in New Zealand and have a long history of tattooing. Most ancient Maori tattoo designs were on the face of men. Women were not tattooed as much but when they were, their tattoos were usually put on the chin or lips. Nowadays the majority of tattoos are inked on the body, like the arm.
You may really like the tattoo designs but keep in mind that it is considered an insult for a non-Maori person to have a traditional Maori tattoo design. If you go to an experienced tattoo artist, they will give you a tattoo that resembles the Maori design. You can find high quality Maori tattoo designs online and pick which one you want your tattoo to resemble.
What's different about Maori tattoo designs? Most Polynesian tattoo designs follow a straight line pattern. Maori tattoo designs are spiral in design. When you first look at the tattoo you will see small circles but as you keep looking, you can see how those small circles blend into bigger ones. Maori tattoos were painful to receive. Knives and chisels were used to make incisions to insert the ink. A person without a tattoo was considered worthless.
If you are considering a Maori tattoo think about the significance of the tattoo. A tattoo is your statement to the world. It should be personal to you but you will tell the story when someone asks about your tattoo. Find a tattoo design that can be changed to fit your personality. The best place to find unique tattoo designs is an online tattoo gallery.
An online tattoo gallery will give you thousands of high quality tattoos to choose from. You can take more than one tattoo and combine them to get the design you want. What's so great about membership tattoo galleries is that you can print or download as many tattoo designs as you want. Once you're a member, you have full access to the site. It is a small investment to make for something that will be with you for life.
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