Tā moko

[2] Tattoo arts are common in the Eastern Polynesian homeland of the Māori people, and the traditional implements and methods employed were similar to those used in other parts of Polynesia.

Apart from signalling status and rank, another reason for the practice in traditional times was to make a person more attractive to the opposite sex.

[7] Originally tohunga-tā-moko (moko specialists) used a range of uhi (chisels) made from albatross bone, which were hafted onto a handle, and struck with a mallet.

[11] The Pākehā practice of collecting and trading mokomokai (tattooed heads) changed the dynamic of tā moko in the early colonial period.

[7] Women too have become more involved as practitioners, such as Christine Harvey in Christchurch, Henriata Nicholas in Rotorua and Julie Kipa in Whakatāne.

It is not the first time the contact with settlers has interfered with the tools of the trade: the earliest moko were engraved with bone and were replaced by metal supplied by the first visitors.

[20] A large proportion of New Zealanders now have tattoos of some sort,[21] and there is "growing acceptance ... as a means of cultural and individual expression.

"[23] On 25 December 2021, Māori journalist Oriini Kaipara, who has a moko kauae, became the first person with traditional facial markings to host a prime-time news programme on national television in New Zealand.

[citation needed] Wearing of moko by non-Māori has been called cultural appropriation,[30] and high-profile uses of Māori designs by Robbie Williams, Ben Harper and a 2007 Jean Paul Gaultier fashion show were controversial.

As opposed to moko which requires a process of consents, genealogy and historical information, kirituhi is merely a design with Māori flavour that can be applied anywhere, for any reason and on anyone...[35]