The tattooists bent over Kingi Taurua for 15 hours, using chisels and a stick as a hammer to gouge bold Maori designs into his bloodied face, buttocks and legs. "It started at 5 o'clock in the ...

Tattoos, called Moko, have been an integral part of Maori culture for many hundreds of years. Far more than decorative, the tattoos and their location tell about the person who bears them.