Maori Tattooing (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780486430928)

Originally published in 1896, this classic of ethnography was assembled by a skilled illustrator who first encountered Maori tattoo art during his military service in New Zealand. Maori tattooing (moko) consists of a complex design of marks, made in ink and incised into the skin, that communicate the bearer's genealogy, tribal affiliation, and spirituality. This well-illustrated volume summarizes all previous accounts of moko and encompasses many of Robley's own observations. He relates how moko first became known to Europeans and discusses the distinctions between men and women's moko, patterns and designs, moko in legend and song, and the practice of mokomokai: the preservation of the heads of Maori ancestors. Features 180 black-and-white illustrations.

Author: H. G. Robley
ISBN-10: 0486430928
ISBN-13: 9780486430928
Publisher: Dover Publications
Language: English
Published: 12/29/2003
Pages: 216
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.87lbs
Size: 9.22h x 6.18w x 0.65d