BETA
Chapter 1
From the streets to the salon
Chapter 2
Sacred traditions in modern museums
Chapter 3
Contemporary canvas crossovers
Chapter 4
The challenge of the living canvas
YOUR GOAL
Master of How tattoos entered art galleries
Ch 2 · Sacred traditions in modern museums
choko Sacred Traditions in Museums
We're inking the sacred line, right on the museum floor!
choko The deeply sacred facial carvings of the Maori are now protected and celebrated in art institutions.
choko Traditional Pacific tattooing is celebrated in global exhibitions as a sacred, living cultural archive.
Fun Fact
Oldest tattooed mummy: Ötzi the Iceman, who lived around 3300 BCE, has 61 tattoos made of soot, located primarily on his joints to treat pain.
Glossary
repatriation (noun)
The return of cultural artifacts or human remains to their country of origin. Since the 1980s, museums have returned sacred, tattooed Māori remains to New Zealand.
The return of cultural artifacts or human remains to their country of origin. Since the 1980s, museums have returned sacred, tattooed Māori remains to New Zealand.
Quiz
What is the modern name for the ancient, machine-free tattooing technique that uses a single manual needle?
Quiz
What tool did traditional Maori artists use to carve ancestral patterns directly into the skin?
Quiz
Which master Japanese tattoo artist has had his full-body Irezumi works documented and celebrated by global museums?
Quiz
What is the traditional facial and body tattooing of the Maori people of New Zealand called?
Quiz
During which historical Japanese era did traditional Irezumi develop alongside woodblock prints?
Quiz
For how many years has the traditional Samoan tatau been practiced using bone and shell tools?
Quiz
Which Paris museum hosted a major exhibition celebrating indigenous tattooing practices from around the world?