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I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

Old Mar 23rd 2008, 8:53 pm
  #1  
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Default I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

Well here's what I did this Easter

I've been talking to a company in Hamilton, NZ for a while about getting a design for a ta moko - a Maori tattoo. I guess tattoos in general are more socially acceptable in NZ because of the Maori and Samoan traditions, so you see them a lot.
Ta Moko is not just a tattoo - it tells a story. All ta moko are unique to the wearer. In the past, ta moko had to be earned and were gradually applied to the wearer as their status and mana increased. Chiefs wore a full face moko and you sometimes still see people wearing these!
Originally they were done using chisels and were incredibly painful!!

Whakapapa (Heritage and geneology) is incredibly important to Maori and the moko oftens describes this. Most Maori can tell you what tribes they descended from as far back as the waka (canoe) in which their people arrived in New Zealand.
Until european settlers arrived, Maori had no written language. All history was memorised and recited verbally. Ta moko is one way of representing it visually.

So anyway my draft design was completed a couple of weeks ago and we've been refining it a little since, but this weekend I travelled up to Hamilton to have it applied.

The company that did the work, Tika Management, are commited to preserving Maori culture, but are happy to work with Pakeha (non-Maori) as well.
Before any work was done, Moera, the business owner, said a karakia (sort of a prayer) to open the shop for the day and to bless the work they would do that day.

This is the design:



Here's me trying not to be nervous as Jaxon (the artist) draws it out

The first draft



Here's Moera doing the outlining



and Jaxon did the shading



And about five hours later, the finished article.



This was followed by a final karakia to mark the completion of the work.

So there you go!

The meaning is mostly contained in the gaps, not the black parts.
Here's the highlights:
The Yorkshire rose represents me,
The gap below is our journey to Aotearoa
The bottom swirl is Melanie.
The swirly koru patterns usually represent new life or birth. The ones near the bottom are our whanau (family and friends)
The double swirl on the right is my mum and dad (they are joined together)

Now the question is, how do I tell my parents?

Last edited by RobClubley; Mar 23rd 2008 at 9:22 pm.
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Old Mar 23rd 2008, 9:05 pm
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Default Re: I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

That looks brilliant.

If your Mum and Dad are members on here then I think you may have already told them!

Have some 'awesome tattoo' karma.

Last edited by banshigirl; Mar 23rd 2008 at 9:08 pm. Reason: Spelling
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Old Mar 23rd 2008, 9:07 pm
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Default Re: I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

Well done you!
Excellent tattoo
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Old Mar 23rd 2008, 9:15 pm
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Default Re: I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

Wow it looks cool Rob ...Mine took 9 minutes and that practically killed me so can't get my head around 5 hours!
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Old Mar 23rd 2008, 9:16 pm
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Default Re: I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

Holy moly Rob, you don't do things by halves, do you? Ace tattoo, and love the design.
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Old Mar 23rd 2008, 9:21 pm
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Default Re: I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

Originally Posted by Maz
Holy moly Rob, you don't do things by halves, do you? Ace tattoo, and love the design.
Might as well do it properly!!
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Old Mar 23rd 2008, 9:56 pm
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Default Re: I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

ouchhh
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Old Mar 23rd 2008, 10:11 pm
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Default Re: I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

Remember that Newcastle fan who had a tattoo of Andy Cole done on his leg just a week before the player was sold to Man United?

Hope it doesn't end like that.....



By the way, I walked past somebody in Wellington last week that looked a lot like Mr Clubley. He was wearing a red t-shirt and a funny white hat that made him look a bit like one of the flowerpot men.

Didn't notice any tattoos though...
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Old Mar 23rd 2008, 10:25 pm
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Default Re: I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

Originally Posted by Avid
Remember that Newcastle fan who had a tattoo of Andy Cole done on his leg just a week before the player was sold to Man United?

Hope it doesn't end like that.....


Originally Posted by Avid
By the way, I walked past somebody in Wellington last week that looked a lot like Mr Clubley. He was wearing a red t-shirt and a funny white hat that made him look a bit like one of the flowerpot men.

Didn't notice any tattoos though...
Wasn't me! Maybe I have a doppelganger! The poor bugger, looking like me!
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Old Mar 23rd 2008, 10:32 pm
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Default Re: I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

Originally Posted by RobClubley
:Wasn't me! Maybe I have a doppelganger!
It's unreal here, I have seen so many people that are absolute clones of friends in Europe. Well, they say everyone has a twin... I wonder if twins have twins too.

at Avid's "flowerpot men" quote.
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Old Mar 24th 2008, 12:12 am
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Default Re: I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

WOW you are so brave. Well done!! 5 hours is a long time to sit still and be tattooed!
Its stunning. Where does the monkey dog fit in?
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Old Mar 24th 2008, 12:17 am
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Default Re: I'm a cuzzie now, chur bro!

Originally Posted by dreamfish
WOW you are so brave. Well done!! 5 hours is a long time to sit still and be tattooed!
Its stunning. Where does the monkey dog fit in?
She's one of the koru swirls at the bottom!
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