Tattoos from Paradise: Traditional Polynesian Patterns

Original tattoo designs from Polynesian cultures at Easter Island, Hawaii, the Marquesas, New Zealand, Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga are presented in over 250 historic drawings and color illustrations. Accounts of native ceremonies by the earliest mariners who first reported this practice to the West are provided. The design elements are interpreted in relation to their historic context, and may serve as dramatic inspiration for today’s popular tattoo styles.