Four Weeks of Mark

Each au is hand-carved from bone and tortoiseshell — its teeth spacing determines the density of every mark struck into skin.

The tufuga reads the receiver's threshold, adjusting strike rhythm across sessions that span forty days of continuous work.

Wedge fields, centipede repeats, and flying-fox wings map genealogy, rank, and obligation onto living skin with absolute precision.

A pe'a left unfinished carries lasting shame — the final stripe from hip to knee seals a lifetime of duty and belonging.