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Overview
This ipu ngarahu (pigment container) held the specialist inks created as part of ta moko (customary Maoritattooing) practice. Also called oko ngarahu, carved ipu wai ngarahu (pigment pots) were part of the ahi ta moko (tattooing rite), which was exceedingly tapu (sacred). The awheto (vegetable caterpillar) was burned in a fire known as an ahi kauri (tattooing fire), then the awe (soot) was mixed with spring water, fish oil, or resin from hinau tree (Elaeocarpus dentatus), mahoe (whitey wood: Melicytus ramiflorus), poroporo (black nightshade: Solanum nigrum), and other plants, then kneaded and formed into small balls called kauri. The ngarahu (pigment) obtained from the caterpillar was used for tattooing the limbs or body, but the pigment was not black enough to be used for facial tattooing. Pukepoto (dark blue earth), a fine dark blue uku (clay), was mixed with resins to form a blue pigment and this was applied to the face of the moko (tattoo) recipient.
Finely carved
Ipu ngarahu were made from wood and finely carved, or sometimes shaped out of easily gouged material such as pumice. The highly tapu nature of ta moko meant that items and tools associated with the practice also became sacred and were highly esteemed. This rare and beautiful example features two carved figures at opposing sides of the vessel, with rauru spirals and carved hands.
Ta moko
Every moko was individualised to suit the genealogy and character of the person receiving it. More than anything else, ta moko identified people like a signature. Their moko was their identity etched into their skin and they were proud to wear it. Many chiefs signed treaties and land grants by drawing their moko instead of just signing an 'X'. From the 1840s onwards, carvers and ta moko experts began adapting their methods and experimenting with metal tools because they proved superior or easier to work with than customary tools made from wood, ivory, and bone.
Contemporary ta moko
The cultural renaissance of ta moko stems from a demand for identity. Today, ta moko is mostly a personal choice, unrelated to traditional obligations. The kaupapa (meaning) of the moko can be to do with the individual's family ties, tribal affiliations, or even their relationship with Io-matua-kore (the supreme god and creator). Moko Maori now pervades all spheres of New Zealand society- from professionals to gang members. It is still a badge of identity and pride, and is gradually becoming more accepted in wider society. Ta moko is considered a taonga tuku iho (legacy). It shows an individual's whakapapa (genealogy) and birthright in a language of symbolic designs. It is a median between the wearer and the spiritual realm, and an assertion of tino rangatiratanga (Maori independence). It may be difficult to pick up the threads of past traditions, but this in no way diminishes the cultural impact, beauty, and originality of today's moko.