polynesian tattoo, tattoo designs, meanings and their origin
Tuhuna | Reasons | Tools | Significance
Art of tattoo
Tools
The gadget usually consists of a handle and a boneblade (1) and (3). The
blade is providet with little sharp teeth, which were cut in with a
bambooknife. Sizes of these boneblades vary (3). Researchers have found
blades from 38mm length and 2mm width up to 78mm length and 14mm width. The
size of these blades determines the number of teeth. But these boneblades
have not only been made out of bones. Materials like tortoiseshell and
rayspikes are also common. The handle is usualy wooden (hibiscus) and about
15cm long.
While tattooing the ornaments are ‘knocked’ with the boneblade and a little
sledge (2), which is about 36-46cm long. Illustration (4) shows the act of
tattooing.
The pigment
The
Colour is mixed with water or coconut oil and the blade is dipped into this
fluid. Soot of burned coconutshells or other nuts is the base of this
fluid.When there was going on a lot of tattooing the pigment was made in
special sootovens.
All the designs and texts of tiki-styles are
own products as well as the whole tiki-styles.de site and are protected by
copyright.
If you would like to reproduce any design or any part of this site, please
ask for permission first
Copyright © tiki-styles