Tā moko
The permanent face and body markings of the Māori of Aotearoa New Zealand, which carry genealogy and identity.
Also: moko
Tā moko is the Māori art of marking the skin. Traditionally it was carved with uhi, small chisels of bone, leaving grooved lines, rather than punctured like most tattoos. Men wore full-face moko; women wore moko kauae on the chin and lips. Designs record whakapapa (genealogy), tribal affiliation and status, and each is unique. Moko declined under colonisation and has revived strongly since the 1970s and 1980s. Non-Māori designs inspired by moko are called kirituhi.