Il n other countries like Japan, Polynesia, and India, tattooing and piercings are a way of life and often part of religious practices. For example, in India hundreds of Hindus pierce themselves with steel rods, needles, and hooks in an annual religious ritual of thanksgiving. "The festival is known as Thiapusam, which was brought about by 19th century immigrants who came to the British-ruled Malaya as laborers and government officials."6 Also, tattoos have been a part of the Polynesian culture since the people first landed there, and for a number of different reasons. "Polynesian tattooing in the ancient world is characterized by elaborate geometrical designs which were often added to, renewed, and embellished throughout the life of the individual until they covered the entire body."7 Everything the Polynesians made was decorated: canoes, bowls, war clubs and tools. "Tattooing was a natural part of their life and art; they had the time, the temperament, and the skill to pursue it and bring it to a high degree of perfection."8 From around 200 to 600 AD, the Polynesians embarked on an adventure to find more land, and they settled and discovered the largest island of the Polynesian group, New Zealand. As they made their way across the Pacific they left records of their travels in the form of pottery. "This pottery provides evidence of the existence of a widespread culture, termed Lapita, which was ancestral to the later Polynesian cultures."9 This pottery, Lapita, is very important to the history of tattooing because it provides the oldest evidence as to the nature of the ancient Polynesian tattoo designs. "Much Lapita pottery bore incised decorations consisting of V-shaped elements, interlocking geometrical patterns, and stylized motifs resembling masks and sea creatures. Similar motifs are found in tattoo designs throughout Polynesia, and even the technique of incising the designs as a series of closely spaced punctures or stipples suggests that the technique used in the decoration of pottery was similar to that used in tattooing."10 The Polynesians used a flat, chisel-shaped pieces of bone measuring two centimeters in length and filed sharp at one end to form a comb-like series of pointed teeth. This instrument was attached to the end of a long wooden handle. The tattoo was then inscribed by the artist dipping the instrument into a mixture of soot and water, then striking the instrument with a small mallet. "The tattoo artist held a hereditary and highly privileged role, and mainly the tattoo artists were priests. This is because the tattoo held such a profound social and cultural significance."11
Because many of the first people to settle in the Polynesian islands were European settlers who were missionaries who felt tattoos were a source of sorcery, they almost wiped out traditional tattooing in most areas. In the past, there has been a great amount of loss inflicted on the Polynesians, also known as the Maori people on New Zealand. However, in the past 10 years there has been a great amount of rejuvenation in the Polynesian art form, and their ancestral way of life. They are still using mostly traditional styles, but as with most places, the Western world has taken a toll on their traditions. "The Maori people have full body tattoos, and some women have even begun to get the chin and lip tattoos that their distant relatives once wore so proudly."12
Tattoos have many meanings in these cultures; for example, for some males it is an initiation into manhood. No matter what accomplishments one might have, the males are still considered boys until their tattooing is complete. "The most common designs for the Maoris are the spiral and the koru, a kind of stalk with a bulb at one end. However, animal and human figures are also very predominant."13 "All persons of rank were adorned by tattoos. Tattoos on the women were usually confined to the face; however, men sometimes had elaborate tattoos covering the entire face. And for the Maori warriors, the tattoos covered other parts of their bodies, including the thighs and buttocks."14 To the Maoris, the men's tattoos symbolized something different than the women's. While tattoos on the women were a sign of beauty, on the men they symbolized virility and fierceness. "The tattoo today in Polynesia is a statement of personal identity, or affiliation with and respect to the traditional culture, and sometimes still a mark of defiance of colonial powers."15
In Japan the tattooing art of irezumi is very popular. This tradition covers the entire body with tattoos and is practiced by both males and females. Although, in Japan's society today this practice is not tolerated anymore. What used to be a form of art used to express one's self and religion is now banned from society. Anyone sporting any kind of tattoo is banned from getting any type of job, and is shunned by society.
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