Maori Facial Tattoos
The Maori people’s ta moko facial tattoos go beyond simple decoration, carrying deep cultural significance about lineage and status. Traditional artists once used bone chisels to carve unique designs into the skin, with each pattern telling a specific story about the wearer’s ancestry. Though colonial influence nearly erased this practice, modern Maori youth have revived it using contemporary tattoo machines. Master artists now blend ancestral patterns with modern techniques.
