Mauri Tattoos - Both Modern and SacredThe Mauri culture is big on tattoos. It's an important part of who they are and there's no surprise that these types of tattoos are becoming popular all over the world. The meaning of these types of tattoos began to decrease because the European settlers started to arrive in New Zealand. The Mauri culture has pride in themselves and has begun to increase because tattoos are starting to come back as the culture has embraced its symbolism.
Ta moko is the style of tattoo that is seen among Mauri men. Moko is the style seen among women. Mauri tattoos are known to be bold and the designs are sweeping. They are suitable for just about any part of the body. Being tattooed symbolized a rite of passage to represent each stage that had importance to them. This even included being tattooed on the face. An adornment for a woman meant having her lips tattooed in blue. There are many Europeans that frowned upon this however it's coming back and many Mauri women are insisting to have the right to continue this tradition.
Mauri tattoos should be re-designed by a tattoo artist as a way to respect the culture. Some tattooists specialize in doing this as well as other tribal tattoo designs so that different cultures are not offended. Getting this type of tattoo can often times be offending if you are not from the Mauri culture.
If you are looking into getting Mauri tattoos you should familiarize yourself with the culture. You should go for the look of either the Ta Moko or just Moko and have it not have any type of cultural significance. Aim for single colors such as green, blue or black but can also be done in any color you choose. These designs look good anywhere on the body such as the calf or around the arm.
