Body Art

Tattooing

Tattooing is one of the oldest forms of body art. The impetus to decorate and adorn is essentially a human characteristic and is something that people have always done. For many people the designs and symbols of adornment can hold great meaning. Similar designs can be found across cultures but their meaning can be significantly different. Within cultures the meaning of certain designs can change across time.

Click on an image below to find out more about tattooing.

Earliest forms of Tattooing Ta Moko, Maori tattooing Ta Tau, Samoan tattooing

These photos show some of the people who participated in our Body Art exhibition. Click on each for a larger version.

Body Art site sections

Australian Museum site sections

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