Tatau: A History of Samoan Tattooing

Author(s): Sean Mallon & Sebastien Galliot

General Non-Fiction (Adult)

The Sāmoan Islands are virtually unique in that tattooing has been continuously practised with indigenous techniques: the design of the full male tattoo, the pe'a, has evolved in subtle ways since the nineteenth century, but remains as elaborate, meaningful and powerful as it ever was. This richly illustrated cultural history is the first publication to examine 3000 years of Sāmoan tatau. Through a chronology vivid with people, encounters and events, it describes how Sāmoan tattooing has been shaped by local and external forces over many centuries. It argues that Sāmoan tatau has a long history of relevance both within and beyond Sāmoa, and a more complicated history than is currently presented in the literature.

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Winner of PANZ Book Design Awards - People's Choice Award 2019 and Ockham Book Awards - Best Illustrated Non-Fiction Book 2019 and PANZ Book Design Awards - Best Typography 2019 and PANZ Book Design Awards - Best Illustrated Book 2019 and PANZ Book Design Awards - Best Book 2019.  

'It is a visual feast, celebrating the tactile pleasure of a book in the hand, and should be acknowledged as a milestone in contemporary publishing ... a book that will expand and enrich the knowledge of readers throughout Aotearoa, the Pacific and beyond' - Ockham New Zealand Book Awards; 'Lavishly illustrated and beautifully produced, it's no surprise this stunning book has been shortlisted for the Illustrated Non-Fiction Award in the 2019 Ockham Book Awards. Tracing the singular history of Samoan tattooing practices during the last 3000 years, this book is the first comprehensive study that looks at the cultural and practical history of Samoan tattooing.' - New Zealand Herald; 'Exhaustively researched, and enriched with interviews and striking documentary photography, it is a fitting tribute to a vital 3000-year-old tradition.' - New Zealand Geographic; 'An extraordinary, scholarly and richly illustrated word that traces Samoan tattooing from its pre-European beginnings and ponders the contemporary state of the ancient art.' - NZ Listener, selected for Best Books of the Year list, November 2018; '... this history takes a more-is-more approach, with a staggering amount of information, both visual and verbal ... Everything is meticulously and tastefully managed right down to the intricately conceived and designed dust jacket.' - North & South.

General Fields

  • : 9780994136244
  • : Te Papa Press
  • : Te Papa Press
  • : 1340.0
  • : 01 August 2018
  • : h255mm x w200mm
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Sean Mallon & Sebastien Galliot
  • : 320
  • : very good
  • : 391.65099614
  • : English
  • : Hardback