Greetings, Speakeasy LA subscribers! Sunny here once again. If you've read my few previous blog posts and heard a little bit about me, you'll understand how my personal interests led me to Tattooing. All of the self-exploration last week raised the question of where it all began.
I would like to share with you all some brief thoughts on the history that has shaped the current landscape of the art in general. Body art has a long and storied history, with evidence of people involved in self-decorating activities dating back 30,000-plus years ago. Often ritualistic, some of these acts would include scarification, body painting, and tattooing. These ancient practices can be considered some of the first stages of bodily self-expression, but the ubiquity of the tattoo is the one that has remained the most relevant. There is no recorded specific origin point for the first tattoo ever performed. However, permanent markings on the body have been discovered throughout ancient history in varying locations and cultures. That being said, the Polynesian tattoo, or "Tatau" as it were, is one of the most significant and well-documented body art rituals recorded.
The historical origins of Polynesian tattoos date back to 1769, recorded in European ship logs of British explorer Captain Cook, whose writings brought many of the region's practices to light in the Western world. According to recorded history, these Polynesian cultures were responsible for the most intricate and skillful tattooing of the ancient world. It had evolved over thousands of years throughout the islands of the Pacific and, in its most highly developed forms, was characterized by elaborate geometrical designs. These patterns are often added to, renewed, and embellished throughout the individual's life until they covered their entire body.
The tattooing process was performed with an instrument that consisted of flat, chisel shaped pieces of bone or sea turtle shell measuring two to four centimeters in length and filed until sharp at one end to form a comb-like series of pointed teeth. This sharpened piece was then attached to the end of a long wooden handle and dipped in black pigment made of soot and water, then applied into the skin by striking the instrument with a small mallet repeatedly. Since both of the artist's hands were occupied in the process, they had one or two additional people to hold the skin to ensure accuracy. These assistants were called "stretchers" and integral to the process. Their responsibilities also included being there to help soothe the person getting tattooed. Being a stretcher was typically the beginning of the learning process for many early tattoo artists. Being a tattooist was held as a highly regarded position with responsibilities akin to ritual priests. They customarily tattooed young men in groups of six to eight during a ceremony attended by friends and relatives, who participated in origin specific prayers and rituals. Many of the decorations consist of v-shaped interlocking geometrical patterns and stylized motifs resembling sea creatures of the region.
These tribal tattoos had profound social and cultural significance to the people of the Pacific Islands and continue to be an integral part of the Polynesian heritage. It played an essential role in religious rituals, warfare and acted as a symbol of status. The longevity of these ancient body art practices reflects how tattooing is still so culturally important to people in the modern age. It is to express oneself and can represent a personal journey through artwork attached to the body as unique decorations. Tattoos have a transcendent quality as an art form throughout cultural lines, which is evident in these cultures and others abroad.
Xx Sunny
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