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POLYNESIAN FLASH
Artists: Aisea Toetu'u, Frederick 'Po'oino' Yrondl & Tricia Allen |
 Hawaii
Hawaiian tattoo designs are much the same as those seen
on kapa (barkcloth) and decorated ipu (gourds). Literally they represent things in
nature -- shark's teeth, woven pandanas, sea urchins or the bones of an eel. All
Hawaiian designs however, have kaona or hidden meaning, which is generally much deeper and
personal.
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Aotearoa
Aotearoa, meaning long white cloud, is the Maori name
for New Zealand. Maori tattoos, in ancient times, had specific reference to the
individual or the person's family -- they would not be worn or used by any other.
For this reason, the patterns here are loosely based on traditional Maori design.
The most common is the curved koru, or tree fern and may symbolize growth. The band
patterns are based on the kowhaiwhai or rafter patterns from the marae or tribal meeting
house.
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 Tahiti
The tattoos done in Tahiti today are quite different
than those of ancient times. Before, in Tahiti certain tattoos were strictly
required for women, whereas men's tattoos were largely optional. Quite a bit was
recorded of the social context of the tattoos -- that is who wore them and why, but very
few of the actual designs were recorded. Today, Tahitian artists have adopted the
designs of the Marquesas Islands and created a modern stule, somewhat reminiscent of
traditional Marquesan designs.
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Fiji
In Fiji, traditionally only the women were tattooed with simple
geometric designs just above the pubic hair and sometimes on the buttocks. The
patterns here are based on the designs that are painted on tapa or barkcloth.
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Samoa
Samoa is the only place in Polynesia that has kept the ancient
technique of tattooing alive. The men's tattoo, called a pe'a, began just above the
waist and extended to just below the knees. The women's malu covered the same area
but was without the heavy black areas. In ancient times, women's hands were tattooed
as well. The designs are based on the individual motifs found in both traditional
tattoos and on siapo, or painted barkcloth.
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Tonga
The Tongan tattoo is rarely seen today; in fact we have only seen one
illustration of the tattoo from ancient times. The style was similar to the Samoan
tattoo, and at one time, would have been worn by nearly all Tongan males. The
designs included here are based primarily on the designs from the painted barkcloth.
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