Mau Moko
The World of Maori Tattoo
written by Te Awekotuku Ngahuia
Penguin Books Ltd | ISBN 9780143566854
Paperback – 264 pages
$39.95
Member’s price: $35.96
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In the traditional Maori world the moko, or facial or body tattoo, was part of everyday life; everyone had some patterning on their skin. Men wore elaborate designs on their faces; women's were usually less complex but elegant, and both sexes had extensive body work.
After almost dying out in the twentieth century, Maori skin art is now experiencing a powerful revival, with many young urban Maori displaying the moko as a spectacular gesture of ethnic pride and identity.
This hugely popular and magnificently illustrated book, compiled by a group of Maori scholars from the University of Waikato, is the closest there has ever been to a 'complete' book on moko. Mau Moko examines the use of moko by traditional Maori, notes historical material including manuscripts and unpublished, aural sources, and links the art to the present day
