Description

The pe'a covers the body from waist to knees. The word tattoo in the English language is believed to have originated from the Polynesian word tatau.
The tatau process for the pe'a is extremely painful, and undertaken by Tufuga ta tatau (master tattooists), using handmade tools of bone, tusks, turtle shell and wood. The Tufuga ta tatau are revered masters in Samoan society. In Samoan custom, a pe'a is only done the traditional way, with aspects of cultural ceremony and ritual, and not with European tools or needles. The tufuga ta tatau works with one or two assistants, often apprentice tattooists, who stretch the skin and wipe the excess ink. The process takes place with the subject lying on mats on the floor with the tattooist and assistants beside them. The pe'a can take less than a week to complete or in some cases, years.

The ink colour is black. The tattoo starts on the back and finishes on the belly button. Overall, the design is symmetrical with a pattern consisting mainly of straight lines and larger blocks of dark cover, usually around the thighs. Some art experts have made a comparison between the distinctive Samoan tattoo patterns to other artforms including designs on tapa cloth and Lapita pottery