Story: Tā moko – Māori tattooing

Māori tā moko is related to the tattoo traditions of other Pacific peoples, such as these Tongans recorded in the 1820s by Louis de Sainson. He was the official artist on French explorer Dumont d'Urville's voyage throughout the South Pacific and Australia. This lithograph includes, in the centre, a detailed drawing of a male thigh design, showing some similarities to tā moko designs.