{"id":1457,"date":"2026-10-28T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/?p=1457"},"modified":"2026-10-21T04:10:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T04:10:36","slug":"maori-tattoo-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"M\u0101ori Tattoo Meaning: T\u0101 Moko Symbols, Facial Moko, and Kirituhi"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maori-tattoo-meaning-cover.jpg\" alt=\"Hand-colored portrait of chief Tuterei Karewa with full facial moko, framed by a decorative plate rim\" \/><figcaption>Chief Tuterei Karewa with full facial moko on a plate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A M\u0101ori tattoo, or t\u0101 moko, is the tattoo tradition of the M\u0101ori of Aotearoa New Zealand, and its lines record a person&#8217;s whakapapa (ancestry), rank, and achievements. Traditionally it was chiseled into the skin with uhi rather than punctured, and the Australian Museum compares a moko to a r\u00e9sum\u00e9. T\u0101 moko is reserved for M\u0101ori, while kirituhi is M\u0101ori-inspired art open to everyone else.<\/p>\n<p>Moko is the mark itself and t\u0101 moko is the act of tattooing, according to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Te Papa also spells the practice t\u0101moko.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/#What_Does_a_Maori_Tattoo_Mean\" >What Does a M\u0101ori Tattoo Mean?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/#How_Ta_Moko_Was_Traditionally_Made\" >How T\u0101 Moko Was Traditionally Made<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/#The_Story_of_Mataora_and_Niwareka\" >The Story of Mataora and Niwareka<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/#Facial_Moko_Mataora_and_Moko_Kauae\" >Facial Moko: Mataora and Moko Kauae<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/#Common_Maori_Tattoo_Symbols_and_Their_Meanings\" >Common M\u0101ori Tattoo Symbols and Their Meanings<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/#Suppression_and_Modern_Revival\" >Suppression and Modern Revival<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/#Ta_Moko_vs_Kirituhi_Who_Can_Wear_It\" >T\u0101 Moko vs Kirituhi: Who Can Wear It<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/#FAQs\" >FAQs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/#Can_anyone_have_a_Maori_tattoo\" >Can anyone have a M\u0101ori tattoo?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/#What_are_the_main_Maori_tattoo_symbols\" >What are the main M\u0101ori tattoo symbols?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/#What_is_the_difference_between_ta_moko_and_kirituhi\" >What is the difference between t\u0101 moko and kirituhi?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/maori-tattoo-meaning\/#What_does_the_koru_mean_in_a_Maori_tattoo\" >What does the koru mean in a M\u0101ori tattoo?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Does_a_Maori_Tattoo_Mean\"><\/span>What Does a M\u0101ori Tattoo Mean?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A M\u0101ori tattoo shows who the wearer is and where they come from. Sources describe moko as a record of genealogy, social standing, and life events, worn on the head because it was the most sacred part of the body. The Australian Museum adds that moko reminded people of their responsibility in life and that receiving it was a huge honour.<\/p>\n<p>The Polynesian Cultural Center, drawing on Robbie Whitmore, says all high-ranking M\u0101ori were tattooed and people without tattoos were seen as having no social status. In that account the moko works as an ID, showing the wearer&#8217;s rank, status, power, position, and lineage. Mitai M\u0101ori Village describes each pattern as personal to the bearer&#8217;s whakapapa and calls t\u0101 moko a visual language for telling a person&#8217;s story.<\/p>\n<p>Not every source is so certain about the codes. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tepapa.govt.nz\/digital-museum\/explore-digital-museum\/maori\/tamoko-maori-tattoos-history-practice-and-meanings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand<\/a>, describes the motifs as a complex interplay between high aesthetic and a visual language of excellence, identity, and role, and says the link to social status and genealogy remains unclear.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Ta_Moko_Was_Traditionally_Made\"><\/span>How T\u0101 Moko Was Traditionally Made<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>T\u0101 moko was traditionally carved, not pricked. Te Papa explains that M\u0101ori brought the Eastern Polynesian method of striking toothed combs called uhi into the skin with a small mallet called a t\u0101, then developed narrower uhi without teeth that cut grooves through the skin, followed by small toothed uhi that applied the pigment.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maori-tattoo-meaning-uhi-tools.jpg\" alt=\"Photograph of four carved wooden tattooing tools with bone blades beside an inches scale bar\" \/><figcaption>Carved M\u0101ori tattooing tools with bone blades, photographed 1904<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On the face the result was a form of scarification, which Te Papa says is very similar to wood carving: deep grooved furrows stained with dark pigment. Huhana Rare, quoted by the Australian Museum, says the uhi was originally made from albatross bone and that pigments came from gum and other vegetation burned to soot and mixed with oil, with each tribal area using different pigments.<\/p>\n<p>The tools changed after contact. Te Papa says that by the 1840s metal had started to replace bone in uhi. Mitai describes the process as painful and a rite of passage, especially for young men coming of age, and notes that modern t\u0101 moko is usually done with a tattoo machine.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Story_of_Mataora_and_Niwareka\"><\/span>The Story of Mataora and Niwareka<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In M\u0101ori tradition, t\u0101 moko came from Rarohenga, the underworld, through the chief Mataora. Both Te Papa and the Australian Museum tell the story: Mataora followed his wife Niwareka to the underworld after striking her, and her father Uetonga, a master of tattooing, marked his face. Mataora then brought t\u0101 moko back to the surface world.<\/p>\n<p>In the Australian Museum version, Mataora&#8217;s face had only been painted before Uetonga tattooed him, and he sang of his sorrow during the tattooing until Niwareka returned to him. His tattoo served as a reminder to avoid the evil actions of the upper world, and Niwareka brought weaving back with her. Te Papa notes that the name Mataora means &#8220;living face.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Facial_Moko_Mataora_and_Moko_Kauae\"><\/span>Facial Moko: Mataora and Moko Kauae<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Facial moko differs for men and women. Mitai says men traditionally wore moko on the face, thighs, and buttocks, while women wore it on the lips and chin. The Australian Museum adds the shoulders for women and notes that women sometimes made small markings on the face or shoulders when someone close to them had died.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maori-tattoo-meaning-moko-kauae.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of Puhiwahine Rihi Te Rangi-Hireawea wearing a moko kauae on her lips and chin\" \/><figcaption>Puhiwahine, a M\u0101ori composer, wearing moko kauae<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Women&#8217;s chin moko is known as moko kauae. Te Papa describes the photographs Marti Friedlander took of the last M\u0101ori women to have received the chin moko in a customary manner. For men&#8217;s facial work, Te Papa says the spirals on the nose, cheeks, and lower jaw and the curved rays on the forehead are shared by many moko, while the other elements were chosen to enhance the individual&#8217;s features, giving meaning to the expression Mataora, the living face.<\/p>\n<p>According to Whitmore, as summarised by the Polynesian Cultural Center, a male facial moko is divided into eight sections:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ngakaipikirau: center forehead, the wearer&#8217;s rank<\/li>\n<li>Ngunga: around the brows, the wearer&#8217;s position<\/li>\n<li>Uirere: eyes and nose, the wearer&#8217;s basic political rank<\/li>\n<li>Uma: temples, first or second marriage<\/li>\n<li>Raurau: under the nose, the wearer&#8217;s signature<\/li>\n<li>Taiohou: cheeks, the wearer&#8217;s line of work<\/li>\n<li>Wairua: chin, the wearer&#8217;s mana (achievements)<\/li>\n<li>Taitoto: jaw, the wearer&#8217;s birth status<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Both the Polynesian Cultural Center and the Australian Museum say the left side of the face relates to the father&#8217;s line and the right side to the mother&#8217;s. The Australian Museum also says there were no set patterns and that meaning depended on placement on the face, and the Polynesian Cultural Center adds that symmetry is rare.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_Maori_Tattoo_Symbols_and_Their_Meanings\"><\/span>Common M\u0101ori Tattoo Symbols and Their Meanings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The most cited M\u0101ori tattoo symbols are the koru, the single twist, the double or triple twist, the hei matau, p\u0101kati, taratarekae, unaunahi, ahu ahu mataroa, and manaia. The koru, a spiral based on an unfurling fern, stands for new beginnings and growth. The meanings below come from the Polynesian Cultural Center&#8217;s list, with manaia from Mitai.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Symbol<\/th>\n<th>Commonly given meaning<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Koru (spiral, unfurling fern)<\/td>\n<td>New beginnings, growth, harmony<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Single twist<\/td>\n<td>Path of life, eternity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Double or triple twist<\/td>\n<td>Two people or cultures joined for eternity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Hei matau (fish hook)<\/td>\n<td>Prosperity, strength, good health<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>P\u0101kati (dog skin cloak)<\/td>\n<td>Warriors, battles, courage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Taratarekae (whale teeth)<\/td>\n<td>Strength and sensitivity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Unaunahi (fish scales)<\/td>\n<td>Abundance and health<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ahu ahu mataroa<\/td>\n<td>Talent in sport, a new challenge<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Manaia<\/td>\n<td>Spiritual guardianship<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Mitai says each element connects the wearer to their past, present, and future. The Polynesian Cultural Center notes that these designs also appear on carvings, weapons, and clothing, often in wood and jade.<\/p>\n<p>Some articles use &#8220;M\u0101ori tattoo&#8221; loosely for any Polynesian work. Aranui&#8217;s guide, for example, illustrates the term with Marquesan symbols such as enata and tiki.For the wider region, see the guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/polynesian-tattoo-meaning\/\">Polynesian tattoo meaning<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Suppression_and_Modern_Revival\"><\/span>Suppression and Modern Revival<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>T\u0101 moko nearly stopped in the 19th and early 20th centuries and has since been revived. Te Papa says the practice was disrupted by colonisation and the adoption of Christianity in the mid 19th century. The last men tattooed in that period died during the 1920s, while women in various districts kept receiving moko through to the 1920s.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maori-tattoo-meaning-chin-designs.jpg\" alt=\"Line drawing of four chin and lip moko designs in black ink\" \/><figcaption>Four drawn examples of lip and chin moko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Missionaries, and P\u0101keh\u0101 generally, saw moko as distasteful even while fascinated by it, according to Te Papa, and that view affected young M\u0101ori men most. Mitai describes a resurgence in recent years, with many M\u0101ori reclaiming their identity through t\u0101 moko and reconnecting with their whakapapa, and notable M\u0101ori figures wearing moko on global platforms.<\/p>\n<p>Te Papa credits S\u0101moan whanaunga (Pacific cousins) with a hugely significant role in that revival, especially for p\u016bhoro, the thigh moko, by sharing their knowledge of customary tatau. The guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/samoan-tattoo-meaning\/\">Samoan tattoo meaning<\/a> covers that tradition.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ta_Moko_vs_Kirituhi_Who_Can_Wear_It\"><\/span>T\u0101 Moko vs Kirituhi: Who Can Wear It<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>T\u0101 moko is reserved for M\u0101ori, while kirituhi is M\u0101ori-inspired skin art open to non-M\u0101ori. Mitai says t\u0101 moko is directly linked to a person&#8217;s heritage and genealogy, and that kirituhi lets non-M\u0101ori wear M\u0101ori designs without those ancestral connections. The Polynesian Cultural Center says descent is a foremost requirement before a moko can be undertaken.<\/p>\n<p>For anyone without M\u0101ori ancestry, Mitai&#8217;s advice is to choose kirituhi rather than t\u0101 moko, which it calls a respectful way to honour the tradition without appropriating a sacred practice.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs\"><\/span>FAQs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_anyone_have_a_Maori_tattoo\"><\/span>Can anyone have a M\u0101ori tattoo?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Not every kind. T\u0101 moko is reserved for M\u0101ori because it is tied to the wearer&#8217;s whakapapa, and the Polynesian Cultural Center calls descent a foremost requirement. Non-M\u0101ori can wear kirituhi, M\u0101ori-inspired skin art without the ancestral connection, which Mitai M\u0101ori Village describes as the respectful choice.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_main_Maori_tattoo_symbols\"><\/span>What are the main M\u0101ori tattoo symbols?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Sources do not agree on a fixed set of five or six symbols. The Polynesian Cultural Center lists the koru, single twist, double or triple twist, hei matau, p\u0101kati, taratarekae, unaunahi, and ahu ahu mataroa, and Mitai M\u0101ori Village adds manaia, which represents spiritual guardianship.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_difference_between_ta_moko_and_kirituhi\"><\/span>What is the difference between t\u0101 moko and kirituhi?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>T\u0101 moko is the M\u0101ori tattoo tradition linked to a person&#8217;s genealogy and reserved for M\u0101ori. Kirituhi, meaning skin art, uses M\u0101ori designs without that ancestral connection, so non-M\u0101ori can wear it, according to Mitai M\u0101ori Village.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_the_koru_mean_in_a_Maori_tattoo\"><\/span>What does the koru mean in a M\u0101ori tattoo?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The koru is a spiral based on an unfurling fern frond. The Polynesian Cultural Center and Mitai M\u0101ori Village both say it symbolises new beginnings and growth.<\/p>\n<p>If M\u0101ori patterns inspire you, browse the <a href=\"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/collections\/maori-tattoo\">M\u0101ori tattoo designs at Kamicrew<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>M\u0101ori tattoo meaning explained: how t\u0101 moko records whakapapa and rank, what the koru and other symbols mean, facial moko, uhi chisels, and kirituhi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-polynesia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1457"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1457\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1460,"href":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1457\/revisions\/1460"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kamicrew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}