Maori are the indigenous inhabitants of New Zealand whose
ancestors were migrants from the Eastern Polynesia between
AD800 to 1300. Carrying with them to the new land was the rich
Polynesian cultures as well as the unique Maori tribal tattoo
arts.
Ta moko, referred to tattoos in Maori language, were
traditional tattoo lines carved on the face and other parts of
the body using a sharp or a serrated bone chisel from the sea
bird. Although the tattooing process was extremely terrifying,
painful and long, it was a sacred event. Tattooing was usually
accompanied by traditional flute music performance and poems
chanting in order to help the bearers eased the pain while
their bodies were being chiseled with lines and curved
patterns. Due to extensive pain induced by any body movement,
the bearers would not be able to eat any solid food until the
wounds on the face were recovered.
The ancient men usually wore Maori tribal tattoo arts on
their buttocks, faces, and thighs, whereas the women would
chiseled their Polynesian tattoos on their upper lips, chins,
and the nostrils. Maori tattoos were visual signs that conveyed
the bearers’ tribal identity, ancestry, family rank, social
status and spirituality. This practice has been there for over
a thousand years. In the past only the important Maori wore
tattoos, and for those who did not own any ta moko tattoos were
considered to have no social status.
Modern Maori tribal tattoo is becoming increasingly popular,
and is a great expression of uniqueness, style and fashion. It
is also a symbol of sacrifice, daring and respect due to its
traditionally long and painful process of acquiring ta moko. If
you choose to ink ta moko tattoos on your body, you may want to
avoid using those designs that carry special attributes of the
Maori tribe. The Polynesian tattoos are creative and beautiful
which consist of complex curved patterns and spiral shapes.
Contemporary ta moko are usually blended with Celtic tattoos to
form new distinctive artworks. Ta moko arts have become one of
the most important sources of tribal tattoos around the world
as Maori tattoos have their own uniqueness and special
characteristic among all the Polynesian tattoos.
Maori tattoos look superb to be worn on the shoulder rather
than on the face like in the old days. The most popular Maori
tribal tattoo designs are of the medium and large sizes, and
they appear in many different colors, shapes and styles to suit
the taste of all types of tattoo lovers.
Selecting the most inspiring design is important as tattoos
will be with you to love forever. It is always advisable to
pre-select your tattoo designs carefully before setting off to
your favorite tattoo parlor. This is to prevent any last minute
decision making in the tattoo parlor that may impact you for
life. Investing money and time doing research on magazines,
books and internet will make certain that you get the best body
art option. You should make use of all available resources when
searching and picking your perfect Polynesian tattoos. For
unique, creative and original tattoos, check out the top 3
tattoo galleries here at
Maori Tribal tattoo.
Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-articles/unique-polynesian-tattoos-view-maori-tribal-tattoo-gallery-648525.html
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