Many great traditions in art have a foundation in the art of one of the great ancient civilizations: Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, China, Ancient Greece, Rome, as well as Inca, Maya, and Olmec.
Ta Moko was like a history of a person's achievements and represented their status in their tribe.t was a huge honour for people to have Ta Moko. Ta Moko was worn by both men and women. It was applied to the face and buttocks of men, and to the chin, lips and shoulders of women. Depending on their ranking, they may also have Ta Moko on their face.
A person would write down his entire design as his mark. A person without Moko was called a âpapateaâ, meaning âplain-faceâ. These people were outcasts. As a rite of passage, the Maori used Ta Moko for both male and female initiation. For males it was a sign of readiness for adult duties, marriage, reproduction and fighting.