Polynesian Culture and traditions

What you call Maori tattoo is not...

In Germany, it is common to refer to the various Polynesian tattoo styles collectively as Maori tattoos. This, however, is incorrect. The term Maori applies exclusively to the indigenous tattoos of New Zealand and cannot be used to describe all Polynesian styles.

Polynesian tattoos are deeply rooted in the culture, history, and spirituality of the Pacific Islands. Each style has its own origins, visual codes, and meanings. For this reason, they deserve to be named accurately and approached with respect.



In the photo, you can see an authentic Maori tattoo by Gordon Toi from “House Of Native” (Aotearoa, New Zealand). This appearance is usually not what people are referring to when they speak of a “Maori tattoo” — in most cases, they are actually thinking of Samoan or Marquesan styles.

Polynesian tattoos: an ancient language that lives on today.

The Polynesian peoples originated from maritime migrations over 3,000 years ago. They crossed the Pacific, navigating by the stars, currents, winds, and natural signs, and settled on numerous islands. This created the Polynesian triangle connecting Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island, showcasing the diversity of cultures.

Polynesian tattooing developed as a visual language: each line tells a story of personal history, ancestry, and social role. Styles vary by region but are based on a common cultural and symbolic foundation.

Polynesian tattooing thus refers to different styles depending on the region, but is based on a common cultural and symbolic foundation that connects the Polynesian peoples across the triangle and through time.

Diversity of styles, unity of language

Although Polynesian tattooing is often referred to in the singular, it actually manifests itself in a wide variety of regional styles, each with its own rules, structures, and social functions. Marquesan, Samoan, Hawaiian, and Maori styles are among the best known, but they represent only part of a much broader cultural fabric. Added to this are the traditions of Tonga, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and the internal diversity of French Polynesia itself, where the individual archipelagos—the Society Islands, Tuamotu, Austral, and Gambier—have each developed their own graphic forms of expression. These differences are not only aesthetic in nature, but also reflect specific social orders, relationships to the body, genealogy, social status, and the sacred. Furthermore, it should be noted that even within an archipelago, variations can exist from island to island, with certain motifs, compositions, or techniques being limited to individual islands. This understanding of diversity helps to avoid simplifications and to comprehend the Polynesian tattoo as a network of complex symbolic languages that have emerged from a common Oceanic root but have been shaped by different histories, habitats, and societies.

Marquesan Tattoo

The Marquesan tattoo is immediately recognizable for its strong visual impact, based on the deliberate interplay of large black areas and finely detailed patterns. This graphic density is never purely decorative: it structures the body, emphasizes its forms, and anchors the wearer in a coherent symbolic system.

In the Marquesas Islands, tattooing was historically an integral part of the life cycle. It accompanied growth, the transition to adulthood, confirmation of social status, and membership in a clan. Each composition could express genealogy, ancestry, protection, strength, or a connection to the sacred. The tiki figure plays a central role, representing origin, original ancestors, and the protective presence of invisible forces.

Notably, the Marquesan style was never static: it evolved over time and varies significantly from island to island and valley to valley, both in the composition and the execution of motifs. This ability to adapt while maintaining a strong symbolic structure explains why Marquesan tattooing remains today one of the richest and most expressive visual languages in Polynesia.

The illustration opposite shows the traditional style of the Marquesas Islands, in which black areas alternate with fine details. It also highlights the arrangement and organization of motifs on the body, which is traditionally codified, ensuring that each tattoo is both aesthetically harmonious and symbolically meaningful.

Each Marquesan tattoo can thus become your own story, where a deep understanding of this culture is reinterpreted in a contemporary style, reflecting your personal history and choices.

Thus, traditional motifs carrying deep meanings, in which you can find elements of your personal story, your values, your character traits, or even your interests, are carefully selected with you and for you, then integrated into a unique tattoo created specifically for you.

Samoan Tattooing

Samoan tattooing is based on a clearly structured visual and social order, where the body serves as a bearer of a collective language deeply rooted in tradition. The shapes are generally broad, rhythmic, and organized into well-defined areas, creating an easily readable and hierarchical composition.

The most recognized forms are the pe’a, the traditional male tattoo that covers the body from the waist to the knees, and the malu, its female counterpart, which is lighter, airier, and associated with grace, social role, and cultural transmission.

These tattoos mark key stages in life: they accompany the transition to adulthood, confirm one’s position within the community, and symbolize commitment to family, village, and Samoan culture. Wearing a Samoan tattoo makes the wearer a visible representative of core community values, such as respect, responsibility, and perseverance.

Even when contemporary projects deviate from the traditional full form of the pe’a or malu, the core codes—structure, rhythm, balance, and symbolism—remain intact. This framework guides most contemporary works: customized tattoos that honor the wearer’s personal history while preserving the identity and essence of Samoan tattooing.

Each tattoo inspired by the Samoan style can become a space for personal resonance, where traditional codes, reinterpreted through a contemporary design, allow each individual to find reflections of their life, values, and personal journey.