Hi Brian
A quick search on Wikipedia came up with this. Hope it helps.
Maori tattoo is very complex
Maori tattoo traditionally does not involve the use of needles; rather the Maori used knives and chisels made from shark teeth, sharpened bone or sharp stones. The chisel, also called the uhi, was made from albatross bon although some were said to be made of iron. Knives and chisels were either plain and smooth or serrated, and these were used interchangeably depending on the intended pattern or design in the skin.
The inks that were used by Maori were made from all natural products. Burnt wood was used to create black pigments; while lighter pigments were derived from caterpillars infected with a certain type of fungus, or from burnt kauri gum mixed with animal fat. The pigments were then stored in ornate containers called oko, which became family heirlooms. Oko were often buried when not in use.
The black pigment that was made from burnt wood was reserved solely for facial tattoos; while those made from bugs or burnt gum was used for outlines and other less revered tattoos. Before the beginning the tohunga ta moko would study the persons facial structure to decide on the most appealing design. As mentioned before, no two Maori tattoos are alike.
Maori tattoo can be very painful
maori tribe face tattooHaving a Maori tattoo applied was a very painful experience. First deep cuts were incised into the skin and then the chisel was dipped into the pigment and tapped into the cuts. Another variation on this process involved dipping the chisel into the jar of pigment and inserting it into the skin by striking the end with a mallet. This manner of tattooing leaves the skin with grooves after healing, instead of the usual smooth surface left after needlepoint tattoos.
Maori tattoo was once a long and labour intensive process, because it was very painful only a few parts of the body were tattooed at a time to allow healing. There are two designs for the Maori tattoos – the normal design only involved the blackening of the lines whilst the second called for blackening the background and leaving the lines clear – this was called puhoro.
Maori tattoo is very sacred
Due to the sacred nature of the Maori tattoo, those who were undergoing the process, and those involved in the process, could not eat with their hands or talk to anyone aside from the other people being tattooed. Those who were receiving tattoos made it a point to not cry out in pain, because to do so was a sign of weakness. Being able to withstand the pain was very important in terms of pride for Maori people.
There were other rules and regulations around being tattooed, particularly while undergoing a facial work. Many Maori had to abstain from sexual intimacy while undergoing the rite, and had to avoid all solid foods. In order to meet these requirements, the person was fed from a wooden funnel to prevent foodstuffs from contaminating the swollen skin. A person would be fed in this manner until the facial wounds had fully healed.
Because the face was often bleeding and very swollen, the leaves of the karaka tree were often used as a balm that was applied after the session had finished, to hasten the healing process. The tattooing was often accompanied by music, singing and chanting to help soothe the pain.
The main focus
Archaic Maori Facial TattooThe focal point of Maori tattooing was generally the face. Men had full facial tattoos, while women only had their chin, lips and nostrils tattooed. Some Maori also had other parts of the body tattooed, such as their back, buttocks and legs. Women were more often known to tattoo their arms, neck and thighs.
Maori tattoo and social status
Only people of rank or status were allowed to have, and could afford to have, tattoos. A person who did not have any high-ranking social status, such as a slave, could not have a face tattoo. Those who had the means to get a tattoo but did not were seen as people of lower social status.
The Maori facial tattoo was not only seen as a sign of rank though, but was also used as a kind of identification card. For men, their face tattoo showed their accomplishments, status, position, ancestry and marital status. It is considered highly insulting to be unable to recognise a person’s power and position by his moko.
The male facial moko or tattoo is generally divided into eight sections of the face:
The centre of the forehead called the ngakaipikirau, designated a person’s general rank
The area under the brows, called ngunga, designated his position
The area around his eyes and nose, uirere, designated his hapu, or sub-tribe rank
The area around the temples, uma, served to detail his marital status, like the number of marriages he had
The area under the nose, raurau, displayed the man’s signature that was once memorised by tribal chiefs who used it when buying property, signing deeds and officiating orders
The cheek area, or taiohou, showed the nature of the person’s work
The chin area, wairua, showed the person’s mana or prestige
Lastly, the jaw area or taitoto designated a person’s birth status
It can also be noted that a person’s ancestry is indicated on each side of the face. The left side is generally the father’s side and the right side the mother’s. Noble or note-worthy descent was a primary requirement before a moko was undertaken.
If one side of a person’s ancestry was not of rank, the corresponding side of the face would not have any design tattooed on it. And if the person undertaking the moko has no rank, or is not heir to anything of note then the centre of the forehead would be left without design.
