Ancient preserved heads give up their secrets as Maori tattoos see resurgence

"In New Zealand's national museum, master Maori tattoo artists painstakingly apply ink to the faces of eight men and women as a large crowd watches on. Thin lines spiral over the men's cheeks, dipping towards the jaw and up over the forehead, while lines curl around the women's chins each mark telling the story of its wearer's identity, lineage and experience. Surrounding them are their families, who sing and grip their hands as they lay still under the needle and weight of the sacred"

"The artists are in the process of creating ta moko traditional Maori tattoo which has become increasingly visible in New Zealand. The ceremony held this month was opened to the public to mark new research that examined ancient preserved Maori heads, or toi moko, for insights on how traditional tattoo masters worked. Over three days, hundreds of people gathered to witness the rare event."

Master Maori tattoo artists applied ta moko to eight recipients at the national museum while a large crowd looked on. Thin, spiraling lines across cheeks and curled lines on chins conveyed identity, lineage and life experience. Families sang and held hands as participants lay still under the needle and weight of a sacred, usually private, ceremony. The public ceremony marked research into 200 ancient preserved Maori heads (toi moko) to recover traditional techniques and drew hundreds over three days. Ta moko prevalence and visibility have risen, with roughly 18% of Maori now wearing traditional tattoos and prominent figures displaying moko publicly.

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