Tribal Tattoos
Tahiti Tribal Tattou
Every tattoo is an attempt by the wearer to express themselves, for themselves or to display to others. The content, colour, placement, size, shape and style of a tattoo are all variables which can be manipulated to help that attempt at self-expression. All these variables interact — change one, you may have to change another or more. Often the tattoo that gets regretted (see Problem Tattoos section) is the result of a hastily made choice with the tattoo lasting longer than the whim of a moment. If you are not 100% sure about what you want, it may mean you aren’t ready for it. Keep searching in tattoo galleries, books, photos in tattoo shops, until you know for sure what kind of design and style you want.
To understand the process of how a tattoo is created by transforming sentiments into a design, please read Steve’s testimony (wonderfully tattooed by Marama, Bora Bora).
Tattoo Styles
Polynesian style is a branch of the Tribal style whose characteristic is bold black abstracts or figurative designs There are many different Polynesian styles of tattooing: Marquesan, Tahitian, Samoan, Hawaiian, Maori… Every Polynesian island has its own style and every tattooist also has his own style - more modern or more traditional, fineline highly detailed work that utilizes delicate single-needle outlines, or rougher style, more oriented on design or more oriented on symbolism…
About the Meaning
A Dictionary of Polynesian Tattoo Symbols is available on this site (to subscribers). Until recently the “Bible” for Polynesian tattoo was the famous book by Karl von den Steinen [See Books section] which describes throughly traditional Marquesan patterns, their place on the body. But the meaning of the motifs was not mentioned clearly. You had to kind of decipher the ethnologic account in order to try to figure out the meanings. This deciphering has been done for you in the Dictionary of Polynesian Tattoo Symbols.
About a Polynesian Alphabet
Many people ask if there is a Polynesian alphabet. The only written Polynesian script that we know is the Easter Island Rongo-Rongo. But these pictograms have not yet been fully deciphered. Artists can create letters in a Polynesian style - Marquesan, Hawaiian, Maori, Samoan, etc. See examples of Polynesian style writing on this page.
Flash vs. Custom Art
Flash consists of pre-priced stock designs displayed on the walls of tattoo shops. Most tattooists consider Flash the ‘bread and butter’ of the industry because the easily reproduced designs tend to cost proportionately less.
Flash is the pattern-sheet and rubber-stamp school of tattooing which supplies tattooists with simple, easily transferable, mass-produced designs from which a client could choose an image as if he were choosing wallpaper. To choose an off the peg design on the spur of the moment is risky. Offered the restriction of having to wear the same outfit, or drive the same car ‘forever’, would you choose the first one to catch your eye? More……….
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- Armband Tattoos
- Tribal Tattoos
- Dragon Tattoos
- Cross Tattoos
- Star Tattoos
- Lower Back Tattoos
- Butterfly Tattoos
- Celtic Tattoos
- Fish Tattoos
- Egyptian Tattoos
- Gothic Tattoos
