Cook encountered tattoing on Tahiti in 1769, and wrote about it in the official account of the voyage;
'Both sexes paint their Bodys, Tattow, as it is called in
their Language. This is done by inlaying the Colour of Black under their
skins, in such a manner as to be indelible. Some have ill-design'd
figures of men, birds, or dogs; the women generally have this figure Z
simply on every joint of their fingers and Toes; the men have it
likewise, and both have other differant figures, such as Circles,
Crescents, etc., which they have on their Arms and Legs; in short, they
are so various in the application of these figures that both the
quantity and Situation of them seem to depend intirely upon the humour
of each individual, yet all agree in having their buttocks covered with a
Deep black. Over this Most have Arches drawn one over another as high
as their short ribs, which are near a Quarter of an inch broad. These
Arches seem to be their great pride, as both men and Women show them
with great pleasure.
Their method of Tattowing I shall now describe. The colour
they use is lamp black, prepar'd from the Smoak of a Kind of Oily nut,
used by them instead of Candles. The instrument for pricking it under
the Skin is made of very thin flatt pieces of bone or Shell, from a
quarter of an inch to an inch and a half broad, according to the purpose
it is to be used for, and about an inch and a half long. One end is cut
into sharp teeth, and the other fastened to a handle. The teeth are
dipped into black Liquor, and then drove, by quick, sharp blows struck
upon the handle with a Stick for that purpose, into the skin so deep
that every stroke is followed with a small quantity of Blood. The part
so marked remains sore for some days before it heals. As this is a
painful operation, especially the Tattowing their Buttocks, it is
perform'd but once in their Life times; it is never done until they are
12 or 14 years of Age.'
In Tahiti, the arms and legs were decorated, while elsewhere in Polynesia the torso and face were also tattooed. The
Tahitian te tatau means 'to knock lightly', and the rhythmic beating of
the mallet onto the needle comb pushed pigment deep into the skin. The work was carried out by a priest, and the markings venerated the god Ta'aroa, symbolising also rank and social status.
Many Polynesian tattoo designs were similar to those found
on barkcloth, and there is the suggestion that tattoos were used to
'wrap the body' in the same way, conferring mana and status on the
owner.
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| 1886.1.1547 and .1548 Tattoing comb and mallet |
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| Detail of tattooing comb 1886.1.1547 showing bone teeth |
These tattooing instruments were collected by the Forsters
on the second voyage, and are described in the 'Catalogue of
Curiosities' as 'No.37. Tattowing or puncturing instruments.' They are made from wood, but the head of the comb is made from bird bone, carved at the end to form sharp teeth.
Sydney Parkinson, the artist on the first voyage, who
himself received a tattoo during his three month stay in Tahiti, shows
in this sketch the position of a tattoo on the buttock, illustrating the
important Polynesian crescent motif.
