Auckland Council Libraries: Māori tattooing

Māori tattooing

Ta moko

​Ta moko or tattooing instruments found in archaeological digs may date back as far as the 11th century. It is likely the tradition came to New Zealand with the earliest migrations.

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Moko

Hans Neleman

Book

In April 1997, Hans Neleman was introduced to moko, the striking facial tattoo of the Māori and was permitted to capture and present images of this sacred art. This text presents a collection of portraits, a testament to Māori heritage and culture.

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Dedicated by blood =

Gordon Toi. Hatfield

Book

This is the result of four years of intensive collaboration between Patricia Steur and Gordon Toi Hatfield. The resulting photographs uncover the soul of Ta Moko.

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Moko

Horatio Gordon Robley

Book

How moko first became known to Europeans; men's moko; women's moko; moko processes and tapu; patterns and designs and more.

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Maori moko or tattoo

Pita Graham

Book

An illustrated account of traditional Māori tattoo art.

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Moko

Michael King

Book

On the background and history of ta moko, covering chisel tattooing, needle tattooing, patterns and conventions and more.

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The blue privilege

Harry Sangl

Book

A collection of colour reproductions of portraits of Māori women dignitaries, all bearing the moko, or facial tattoo.

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The art of the New Zealand tattoo

Anne Nicholas

Book

Colour photographs illustrate a wide range of tattoos, from full face moko and Samoan tattoo to modern fantasy images. The work stems from eighteen months of visits to tattoo artists, and conventions throughout New Zealand.

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Moko rangatira

Ko Te Riria

Book

Tattooing around the world, the importance of tattoo (including who was tattooed ; tattoo as decoration ; tattoo as protest), the place of tattoo in Māori society and changing fashions in Māori tattoo.

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Technology of the Māori

Jane Ross

Book

A fascinating look at the skills Māori developed to adapt to the different climate and environment of their new home. The topics range from clothing, personal ornamentation to artwork and buildings.

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Whakairo

D. R. Simmons

Book

Describes and illustrates the differences, subtle and profound, between the carving styles of the tribes, and examines the work of each tribal group in depth.

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An illustrated guide to Maori art

Terence Barrow

Book

This book is an illustrated guide to the visual arts of the Māori as they lived from about the time of Captain Cook's landing on New Zealand shores in 1769, until about 1900.

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Wearing ink

Dean Johansson

Book

Through the work of 20 of New Zealand's best tattoo artists and photography, this book presents some of the best examples of tattoo art in New Zealand, including traditional Māori and Polynesian designs.

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