Maori Ta-moko influences Face Painting

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Ta-moko is the art of (primarily) facial tattooing as practised by the Maori tribes of New Zealand. It is belived to have originated in Polynesia and to have migrated to the island, where its use was elevated from merely being used primarily for denotation of communal and family rank, to a fine art. Each persons moko is so distinctive that they were used in place of a seal by some non-literate tribal chiefs and, although all westerners claimed they all looked the same, other Maori chiefs instantly recognized these "signatures" and acknowledged them as authentic.

Tattooing amongst the Maori tribes was most predominantly a male activity. All tattooing was done in total silence, by male specialists, (tobungata-moko). Before beginning the ta moko process, the specialist would consider the recipients bone structure, and other facial attributes. Unique differences in some individuals' features would be incorporated in the design. Since these specialists were not bound by a single village, tribe, or even localized by region, styles are more bound by cultural areas, or pre-historic regions

Moko was unique in that the face was decorated with intricate spirals which were not only tattooed but incised into the skin to make scars in the form of parallel ridges and grooves. With the exception of slaves and commoners, all men were tattooed on the face and most were also tattooed on other parts of the body. An elegantly tattooed face was a great source of pride to a warrior, for it made him fierce in battle and attractive to women.

This ancient art of tribal tattooing is having a marked influence on modern face and body painting designs as artists are exposed to the designs and images displayed in the media. Artists hungry for ideas to re-work have found inspiration in the linear patterns that have a modern similarity to the lines found on electronic circuit boards.