
Watch: the importance of Samoan tatau
Pacific curator Sean Mallon explains why the painful experience of getting a tattoo is so important in Samoan culture.
Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
Open every day 10am-6pm
(except Christmas Day)
Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
Pacific curator Sean Mallon and Sāmoan tatau artists Sulu’ape Steve Looney and Tuigamala Andy Tauafiafi talk about the meanings and history of Sāmoan tattooing.
Watch: Sāmoan tatau (tattoo) history and tools
Pacific curator Sean Mallon explains why the painful experience of getting a tattoo is so important in Samoan culture.
Since the 1980s there has been a revival in tattooing across east Polynesia, and interest in Pacific tattoo designs has spread across the world.