Tattoo in the style of Polynesia

Among the various known trends in the art of body painting, the Polynesian style is the most ancient. It is distinguished by the large size of the images, the intricate lines of the ornament and the special beauty of the patterns. Tattoos of this type emphasize the individuality of their owner, and also have a certain meaning.

The Maori tribe lives on the Polynesian islands in the Pacific Ocean, which are located near New Zealand. It was there that a special style appeared and persisted for many centuries, which spread throughout the world under the name of the Polynesian tattoo.

The drawings carried information and determined the position of each member of the tribe, his merits, origin, totem affiliation. A tattoo for a person living in nature was a kind of identity card that showed who his parents were, what his age, and who his wife was. Perhaps, due to the complexity and mystery of the drawings, at first only representatives of the nobility could wear them. Subsequently, they became an attribute of the girl's entry into adulthood and testified to her marriage. A girl was considered prepared for labor pain if she got an extensive tattoo as soon as she became an adult. For men, it was honorable to endure a painful procedure, which became a sign of courage and a well-deserved status as a leader, warrior or hunter.

The laborious and lengthy process could sometimes take months, and this indicated the high degree of endurance of those who had especially outstanding in size and complexity of the drawings on the skin. With the development of sailing, sailors brought Polynesian fashion to the island of Tahiti, and then it spread to the salons of America and Europe.

Polynesian tattoos gained great popularity in European territory at the beginning of the twentieth century. The ornament was so attractive to lovers of exotic graphics and bizarre symbolism that images of intertwining zigzags, waves, triangles, circles and swirling spirals stabbed themselves some celebrities, despite the pain and duration of the work. Women's tattoos made in this style deserve special attention. They emphasize the beauty of the body and cover it with original patterns, but girls often do not know the original sacred meaning of complex ritual drawings, in which each line has its own designation.

In the homeland of the Maori, priests with the help of such cards established a connection between the initiated members of the tribe with the higher powers that govern nature and the life of people. Body painting, which arose on the basis of ancient religion, has its own decoding for each triangle or image of an animal. In large compositions, often occupying the entire thigh or half of the back, symbols appear in various variations. A circle divided into 4 parts of the world is a representation of a compass. On the chest or on the shoulder, a face with open eyes suddenly looms from spirals and circles. Each small element contributes to the creation of a large design.

In tattoo workshops there are many interesting sketches in the style of "Polynesia", which combine the observance of clear lines of the drawing and high professionalism of execution. The range of shades consists of black and gray, but now there are small accented fragments of a different color. The ornament retains its associativity, it is filled with new unique symbols on the body of the wearer.

The islanders knew firsthand what sharks were and endowed these marine life with determination and courage in battle. The fierce predator became for the Maori a protector from evil spells and a patroness in business. The beautiful figures of the lizards moving along the arms look as if they were alive. The Polynesians endowed this creature with great abilities in terms of developed intuition and the gift of foresight. Such fascinating drawings were most often impaled to the servants of primitive cults. Leo symbolizes supreme power and independence. The snake found in many cultures as a sign of wisdom and in Polynesian art has manifested itself in the form of various spirals with a very thin tail end, similar to a sting.

Patterned lines were a way for the Polynesians to write down important information. Therefore, repeating lines with the same curls or simple geometric shapes are so common. Most of the images were taken by artists from the nature they saw around. These are stylized shark teeth, bird legs, tree branches, flower petals and celestial bodies. In the composition of complex ornaments, there are repetitions of triangles located on a spiral line, waves and serpentine ribbons encircling the arms and legs.

The ferocious images of ritual masks were intended exclusively for warriors. They protected men in battle, and ward off evil spirits from young, fearless warriors. The owner of a tattoo depicting a Polynesian mask should always be able to stand up for himself.

Typical designs in Polynesian tattoos are images of the full moon and crescent, symbolizing birth and passing. The sun was one of the main figures and was associated with the mind, which helps to find happiness in life and shine like a heavenly body. The mixing of cultures is expressed in the appearance among the purely Polynesian symbols of a bear or a dragon, which the islands have never known about. But representatives of other peoples put their symbols and ideas into ancient ritual drawings.

In ancient times, representatives of the island tribes applied tattoos to all parts of the body, including the head and face. It was believed that the enemy must be met and frightened with the face, but subsequently painting on the skin moved to other places, which did not weaken interest in it. Often, tattoos are done on the chest, going over the shoulder and starting to lift the composition from the forearm, above the elbow. In front, in the area of ​​the heart, harmonious lines are applied, consisting of patterns made with crosses. This gives the harmony of natural elemental forces with the human soul.

It is customary to fill a Maori tattoo in the form of a sleeve, which encircles the arm starting from the bracelet. Sometimes there is a straight line along the arm, accompanied by ornamental patterns that end on the brush. This traditionally should speak of the path of a born warrior. On the outside of the forearm, a circle is almost always depicted, in which various stylized animate beings or ritual masks in a circle can be located.

Maori tribal symbolism was depicted on the leg and calf, where it encircles the shins like stockings. Such drawings look especially impressive on women. Large symmetrical compositions are favorably placed on a wide male back. A defense, such as a shark or turtle, is usually painted on the shoulder blades. In the middle of the back, a stingray pattern looks beautiful. Protective patterns made of shark teeth were depicted on ankles and wrists

On delicate and thin girls, voluminous tattoos in the Polynesian style can be found much less often. As a rule, if women choose complex designs, they try to stylize them to a lace grace, which they prefer to cover the sides, lower back, neck area on the side or back, arms and thighs. From the sketches available, women most often choose lizards, turtles and spectacular stingrays with long tails. Since not everyone can withstand a large tattoo, an extensive composition is made up of modules, the implementation of which can be stretched for a long period.

Sometimes the design of a Polynesian tattoo is limited to a large expressive lizard depicted in motion and hugging an arm or leg like a tree trunk. On the lizard itself, patterned figures are made with a clear geometric ornament. The lizard looks like it is woven from black lace.

A large pattern of a stingray, spreading its wide fins on both shoulders, looks original on the back. The tail of the sea monster descends along the spine, whimsically wriggling and shimmering with delicate ornaments. All the tips in fine graphics are brought to the finest finishes. The lines are precise and verified, which arouses admiration for the artist's skill.