indigenousnagaland #12 — Tattoo
Tattooing — along with the use of the Log Drum (see previous posts) — was more popular among northern and central Nagas than those in the south, where women were known for tattooing. Human figures and various zigzag patterns are commonly spotted on their arms and chest and they enabled a man to tell a friend from a foe, particularly when a number of villages had combined to attack another village. As with any other ornaments, tattooing also serves to make statements about membership of groups and status within groups (Jacobs 1990:112). The V-shaped tattoo with slight variations on the chest are commonly known as a 'tiger chest' which js to indicate that the wearer could “act like a tiger and kill his enemies” (Saul 2005:36).
Naga worldview is reflected through costumes, folktales, dance, music, paintings, wood carvings and, of course, through tattoos. Nagas grow through what they go through.
Mo Naga — alumnus of NIFT-Hyderabad — is a self-taught tattoo artist today, whose inspiration is drawn from Naga culture. The Nagas, Mo says, don’t have a written script of their history. It has instead been passed down orally through stories and songs. A thorough study of the traditional tattoo patterns too can reveal priceless pieces of history, Mo believes.
Mo has been featured in the "World’s Tattoo Masters Flash Collection” and “The World Atlas of Tattoos”.
“Tattoos are like stories-they are symbolic of the important moments of your life. Sitting down, talking about where you got each tattoo and what it symbolizes, is really beautiful.” — Pamela Anderson
Agency France Presse (AFP) had been following Mo Naga for many, many months documenting his journey of bringing back the magnificent but dying traditional tattooing art of the Nagas and rest of India, spending enormous time, money and effort in compiling the story.
[Old article about Mo Naga's Neo-Naga Tattoo Revival, published in mid 2015 edition of Germany's 'TätowierMagazin' (pp. 50-54)]
[Inspired by the Tattoo of the Queen of a Lower Konyak Naga Village. The lady in the picture is from France]
[Neo Naga Tattoo that talks about #speed #power and #accuracy on a deserving Muay Thai specialist and MMA fighter with a #lethalshin]
REFERENCES
How tattoo artist Mo Naga is working towards saving the rich tradition of Nagas
Top Tattoo artistes from NorthEast India
These portraits of India’s last tattooed headhunters capture a vanishing culture
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