High Priest Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 "For over a thousand years, respected admired and feared by strangers, the art of moko is kept alive as an integral part of the cultural identity of the Maori. In the traditional form of moko, teeth or albatross bone was used to carve into the skin and then the dye forced into the cut flesh with a flat edged blade. This created not only a tattoo but a chiseled scar. Both the chiselled and the flat blade, the Carui gum and the wooden mallet have been replaced by the mihini moko, the tattoo machine. Ta Moko was like a history of a person's achievements and represented their status in their tribe. It was applied to the face and buttocks of men, and to the chin, lips and shoulders of women. Depending on their ranking, they may also have facial Ta Moko. There were no set patterns and the meaning of the Ta Moko was dependent on its placement on the face." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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