“Body Politics: Maori Tattoo Today” at the Peabody Essex Museum

by Heather Bouzan, 03-10-2008

THROUGH FEBRUARY 1, 2009
Committing to a tiny star on our ankle is one thing - but facial tattooing? We're not so sure we'd be willing. For New Zealand's Maori population, however, the swirls, loops, and whirls of ta moko are a point of tribal identity, personal history, and pride. The art form, which was forbidden in New Zealand from 1907 to 1962, is now on display at the Peabody Essex Museum (161 Essex Street, Salem, 978.745.9500), with 30 large-format images by award-winning photographer Hans Neleman. "Body Politics: Maori Tattoo Today" also includes an exhibition of 19th-century and contemporary Maori woodcarvings created in the same tradition. Museum admission is $15 for adults, $11 for students, and free for Salem residents.