The Polynesian Tattoo Today

Tricia Allen is a researcher, lecturer, curator of exhibits, as well as a tattoo artist who is revered among Polynesian tattoo artists. Luckily she has put some of this knowledge into this book for all to read and enjoy

Other than the bios of the artists at the end of the book there are few words in this book.Each page contains a crisp full color photograph of a tattoo adorned figure with a short caption highlighting the most notable aspect of the work. There are no detailed descriptions of the symbolism behind the works of art. That would not be entirely useful given many symbols have a base meaning and then a derived meaning for the individual.Instead the greatest value of this book is that the author has curated some of the best works spanning the full gamut of polynesian styles- Marquesan, Maori, Samoan, Tongan. This makes it an excellent resource for anyone planning to have one done and needs a strong set of examples to draw from. It is certainly better than hunting for images that are haphazardly strewn over the Internet.

good product

This book gave a nice overview of Maori, Samoan, Marquesan and other Polynesian tattoos. The author gives a great explanation on how she chose the tattoos and a summary of the tattoo artists is included. This is a good book to have for inspiration and a great reference book for your library.

This book and a companion volume Tattoo Traditions of Hawaii make more sense the more I read them and look at the outstanding photographs. Each tattoo reflects an artistic rendition of personal and family history. Island traditions become a part of contemporary expression which, in turn, grows future traditions. The author promotes appreciation for floral beauty, sea life, and the all-important land. This book required a great deal of scholarship and documentation to respectfully preserve each tattoo. I have looked at a number of tattoo books at the local museum; this book stays at the top of my list for readability and educational value.

Interesting information and great photos of the art of tattoo (an actual Samoan word and where it all began!).

Great review of current artists. Its hard not to want all of the tattoos!! Definitely a great resource for those traveling to the Islands of French Polynesia. It definitely inspired my next tattoo.

Love this! It’s mainly pictures which is what I wanted.

Thx

Bien que les légendes soient rédigées en anglais, je recommande ce livre pour les amateurs comme moi de tatouages Maoris polynésiens, etc.

Gran cantidad tatuajes de lo mas variado (dentro de que todos son polinesios claro). Lo unica pega que le puedo poner es que me hubiese gustado contar con una explicacion de la simbologia y significado de cada uno de los tatuajes, pero estariamos hablando de otro tipo de libro y no de uno de imagenes claro esta.

Ein absolut empfehlenswerter Bildband, mit vielen wundervollen Tattos aus dem polynesischen Raum. Für alle die sich für diese Art von Tattoos interessieren wird dieses Buch eine vortreffliche Quelle an Inspiration sein. Ich habe die ersten zwei Wochen fast jeden Abend darin geblättert und immer wieder etwas neues entdeckt!Fazit: Auf jeden Fall lohnt sich der Kauf! Selbst wenn man der englischen Sprache nicht ganz mächtig ist, lohnt sich die Anschaffung schon allein wegen der Bilder!

Another excellant book by Tricia Allen following on from Tattoo Traditions Of Hawai'i. The photos of the tattoos are highly detailed and inspirational. The sheer variety of styles and adaptions of the theme are amazing. The text is informative and helpful, as well as educational. This book is sure to inspire and will be extremely helpful to those researching Polynesian tattoos for their own designs. As I said in the title , highly recommended.