Table of Contents
What does Tufuga ta tatau mean?
master of traditional tattooing
The tufuga ta tatau (master of traditional tattooing) uses traditional tools known as the ‘au. A tattoo is only considered traditional if it is done with the traditional tools. While the tatau is understood as essentially Samoan, the understood origins of it are. from overseas.
What is tatau Samoan?
The Samoan word for tattoo came from the Polynesian language. The word tatau originates from the tapping sounds of the tool made during tattooing. This primitive tattoo tool was made of bone or boar husk sharpen into a comb style shape with serrated teeth like needles.
What are the Samoan tatau tools called?
au ta
Many Samoan tattooists still prefer to work with a set of handmade tools called ‘au ta, although electric tattooing machines are available. Each individual ‘au has three parts: a comb, a shell plate, and a wooden handle. The small bone comb has very sharp teeth for puncturing the skin and inserting pigment.
At what age do Samoans get tattoos?
14-18
Young Samoan men were usually tattooed between the ages of 14-18 and the process is thought of as a coming-of-age ritual. The female Samoan tatau is called a malu and covers from the mid-thigh to the knees and is not usually as dense as the pe’a.
What does the Samoan hand tattoo mean?
According to Samoan scholar Albert Wendt and tattooist Su’a Suluape Paulo II, in tattooing, the term ‘malu’ refers to notions of sheltering and protection. Samoan women were also tattooed on the hands and sometimes the lower abdomen. These practices have undergone a resurgence since the late 1990s.
Who is a tufuga?
One of the world’s most elaborate and richly symbolic systems of body decoration, it was carried out by master tattooists (tufuga), who employed sophisticated tattooing tools of various sizes, tapping them rhythmically with a wooden mallet to apply the designs.
What is a taulima?
Background. This taulima (bangle) was made in Samoa and sourced by a dealer located in New Zealand for the New Zealand market. Construction. The taulima is made from wood. The thick band has been painted pink with flower and leaf motifs.
What is a Soga Imiti?
Metaphorically, it means the soga’imiti is the strength (mālosi) of the family. Through his efforts his family will become prosperous and strong. This means he must work hard at the family plantations so that his family never becomes hungry, be a good house and canoe builder, and so on.
What is the purpose of tatau?
He may eventually receive tattoos completely covering his body including his abdomen, rear, and legs. As opposed to the relative ease of men getting tatau, for women, the tatau were typically saved for high-ranking members of society. Their purpose was for decoration, and to make the women more beautiful.
What is malu in Samoan?
Malu is a word in the Samoan language for a female-specific tattoo of cultural significance. The malu covers the legs from just below the knee to the upper thighs just below the buttocks, and is typically finer and delicate in design compared to the Pe’a, the equivalent tattoo for males.
What age do Samoan boys get tattoo?
Young Samoan men were usually tattooed between the ages of 14-18 and the process is thought of as a coming-of-age ritual. The female Samoan tatau is called a malu and covers from the mid-thigh to the knees and is not usually as dense as the pe’a.
Is it offensive to get Polynesian tattoo?
DO POLYNESIAN PEOPLE CONSIDER DISRESPECTFUL IF OTHERS GET A POLYNESIAN TATTOO? No, and yes. It depends on how you approach Polynesian art and, ultimately, culture. Plain copying someone else’s tattoo is always disrespectful, because you are stealing their own story.
How much does a PE a cost?
The male tattoo, called pe’a, runs from the mid-back down past the knee. There’s a version for women called the malu, which goes from the upper thigh to below the knee. The man’s tattoo can cost up to $10,000 and takes up to 45 hours to complete. It’s a big no-no in the culture to not finish the tattoo.
What are Nifo o le Pua‘a and Vatu‘E?
Nifo o le pua‘a (pig’s tusk) are used to make the serrated cutting edge of tattooing tools and vatu‘e (sea urchin spine) is used as a file for the shaping of tattooing tools. A tu‘i (pestle) is used to grind the tattoo pigment which is then placed inside a ipu lama or coconut shell cup.
What is Tātatau and Tatau?
The tradition of tātatau and tatau is truly embedded in Samoan custom. One of the most sacred rites of passage for any Samoan is to receive a malofie or pe‘a for men and a malu for women. A set of tātatau tools and instruments made by the late Tufuga tātatau Su‘a Sulu‘ape Paulo II.
Is Tonga’s tattooing making a comeback?
Tattooing in Tonga became a lost art for a long time, but the ancient art is now enjoying a resurgence. Much of the history has been lost over centuries of missionary work and rising health concerns, but knowledge of the ancient methods of tattooing is gradually being rediscovered.