About Māori Tā Moko (Facial Tattoo)
Tā moko is the Māori facial-and-body tattoo tradition of Aotearoa New Zealand, distinct from broader Polynesian tatau by its curvilinear-spiral grammar — koru, takarangi, unaunahi, niho taniwha. Every moko is uniquely individualized to the wearer's whakapapa: every line traces ancestry, every spiral encodes iwi and status.
As a design system, Tā Moko speaks in strict blue-black moko-ink on warm tan-skin ground. Headings ride generous Garamond serifs; curvilinear hairlines replace borders; pounamu-green and red-ochre appear only as rare ceremonial accents.
- Origin
- Aotearoa New Zealand — Māori cultural area
- Era
- Pre-European-contact Māori tradition (1000+ years on Aotearoa); revival from 1990s onward
- Key figures
- Mark Kopua · Inia Taylor · Gordon Toi · Tame Iti
- Movements
- Māori Renaissance (Te Ao Māori) · Pacific traditional tatau traditions · Contemporary Māori sovereignty
Māori Tā Moko (Facial Tattoo) design spec
Colors
Typography
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