Here’s a list of celebrities with Maori tattoos:

* Robbie Williams: celebrity with a Maori sleeve tattoo, done by Henk Schiffmacher, a Dutch tattoo artist.
* Ben Harper: singer and guitar player, has Maori tribals all over his body.
* Mike Tyson: ex-boxer with a Maori inspired tattoo on his head.

Maori tattooing would usually start at adolescence, and was used to celebrate important events throughout life. The first tattoo marks the transition from childhood to adulthood and was done during a series of rites and rituals. Tattoo art was an important part of the Maori culture – in fact, people without tattoos were considered to be without status or worth. (more…)

Tattooing is traditionally an apprenticeship based art. Apprenticeships last approximately three years before they are considered professional artists. You are making permanent, often visible changes to another human being and if proper procedure isn’t followed,

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The tribal designs widely used and applied nowadays go back to the black, silhouette like and geometric Tatau ornaments of the Polynesians. It was also tribal tattoos the Sailors brought home to europe from their first journeys to Tahiti before the influences of the Sailors with maritime designs, now called traditional tattoos, replaced the native motives.

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