Polynesian tattoos are a form of tattoo art that originated in Polynesia, a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. The tradition of Polynesian tattooing is at least 2,000 years old, and tattoos were used to express identity and personality, with various meanings assigned to each design based on the cultural context. Historically, nearly everyone in ancient Polynesian society was tattooed, and tattoos would indicate status in a hierarchical society as well as sexual maturity, genealogy, and ones rank within the society.
The actual tradition of Polynesian tattooing existed more than 2000 years ago, however in the 18th century the Old Testament strictly banned the operation. Since its renaissance in the 1980s, many lost arts were revived, but it became very difficult to sterilize the wooden and bone tools that were used for the tattooing process, so the Ministry of Health banned tattooing in French Polynesia in 1986.
Polynesian tattoos can have varying meanings depending on the design. Polynesian people show that they were able to endure pain by getting their skin marked and were through rites of passage to become accepted members of their society. Therefore, tattoos were part of a person’s identity as visible signs of rank and ancestral blood.
Among the five main Polynesian tattoo styles, Maori, Samoan, Marquesan, and Hawaiian are the most traditional ones, while the Tahitian tattoo style has evolved from them to shape a new, more figurative style that often includes realistic elements to achieve the wow factor that contributed to their present popularity. The ancient tattoo artists were highly respected members of society with a status equivalent to that of priests, and they etched the tattoos into the skin using a shark’s tooth comb struck repeatedly with a mallet.
