Maori tattoos served a symbolic function, telling stories about family history, lineage, and tribal affiliation. Men covered their entire face, while women tattooed their chins and lips. These tattoos were traditionally carved with chisels into the skin.
Ta Moko
Ta Moko is a traditional Maori tattoo representing Maori people and culture. It includes spirals, patterns, and other designs with symbolic meanings for family lineage, tribe affiliation, and accomplishments. Modern-day moko are considered sacred art forms, particularly on the face, arms, thighs, and buttocks.
Hei Tiki
Hei Tiki is a Maori tattoo symbol representing man’s relationship to nature, family, and ancestry. It is usually crafted from materials like jade or greenstone. Hei Tiki is highly valued as personal ornamentation and believed to possess special power passed down through generations.
Marquesas Cross
The Marquesas Cross is a symbolic Maori tattoo for women, believed to protect pregnant women from bad spirits. It can be seen on various objects such as church altars and fences. Maori tattoos often feature enata (human figures) in a row, symbolizing family members, divine beings, or ancestors.
Koru
The koru is a beloved Maori tattoo design symbolizing growth and harmony, inspired by the unfurled fern leaf. It represents creation, perpetual motion, and a return to one’s source. The koru is associated with authority, prestige, spiritual power, and often given as a gift to newly married couples.
Hei Matau
Hei Matau, or fish hook, is a Maori tattoo symbolizing prosperity, abundance, and unity. It comes in various variations, featuring single, double, or triple twist patterns.
