TL;DR: Traditional Samoan tattooing (tatau) is performed using hand-crafted bone, shell, and wood tools tapped rhythmically into the skin by a hereditary master tattooist, the tufuga ta tatau. The pe'a (male) and malu (female) are not applied in a single session but over multiple days or weeks of intensive work. The process is ceremonial, painful, and communally witnessed. Recipients are supported by family throughout, and the completion of the tatau is a significant rite of passage within Fa'a Samoa.
Introduction
To understand how traditional Samoan tattoos are done is to understand that they are not done in the way most people think of tattooing. There is no electric machine. There is no sterile studio with disposable needles. The traditional Samoan tatau is performed with hand-crafted tools of bone and turtle shell, tapped into the skin with a wooden mallet, in a process that has remained essentially unchanged for over 2,000 years.
The tatau process is also not a private, individual event. It is communal, ceremonial, and witnessed. It unfolds over days or weeks, supported by family, observed by community, and overseen by one of the most respected specialist figures in Samoan society: the tufuga ta tatau.
At The Koko Samoa, we believe that understanding Samoan culture means understanding its practices in depth, not as curiosities but as living expressions of Fa'a Samoa. This is how the tatau is done.
The Tools of the Tufuga Ta Tatau
The tools of traditional Samoan tattooing are among the most specialised handcrafted instruments in any living art tradition. As documented by the U.S. National Park Service's resource on Samoan tatau, the primary tattooing tool, called the au, consists of a comb of sharpened pig's tusk, bone, or turtle shell attached to a turtle shell plate, lashed with coconut fibre to a wooden handle.
Different au are used for different phases of the tatau:
- Au o le luma: A wide, flat comb used for the broad background fill areas of the design, typically applied in the early stages of the pe'a.
- Au fa'ali'i: A smaller comb for fine linework and detailed pattern sections.
- Au tele: The larger instruments for working on the thicker, denser areas of the design.
The tufuga also uses a mallet, called the sausau, to tap the au into the skin. The ink, called lama, is traditionally made from the soot of burnt candlenut (lama tree) mixed with coconut oil or sugar cane juice to achieve the right consistency. The tapping of the mallet is the characteristic sound of tattooing, the sound encoded in the word tatau itself.
The tufuga maintains and creates their own tools, and the making of the tools is itself a skilled craft passed down within the tufuga lineage. The tools are cared for with the same seriousness as the practice itself.
Who Performs the Tatau?
The tatau is performed exclusively by the tufuga ta tatau, a hereditary master tattooist. The role of tufuga has been maintained through two specific Samoan family lines for centuries: the Sa Su'a family from Savai'i, and the Sa Tulou'ena family from Upolu. Both families hold the complete knowledge of the tatau tradition: the designs, the protocols, the spiritual dimensions of the practice, and the full range of technical skill required to execute it.
The tufuga works with two assistants called 'au toso. These assistants, often apprentice tufuga themselves, serve critical roles throughout the process: stretching the skin taut for the tufuga to work on, wiping away blood and excess ink to keep the work area visible, and providing physical and psychological support to the tufuga over long working days.
The relationship between the tufuga and the recipient is not merely professional. The tufuga takes responsibility for the spiritual and physical safety of the recipient throughout the process. They determine the design, the timing, the pacing, and the completion of the work.
Preparing for the Tatau
Receiving the tatau, particularly the pe'a for men, is not a decision made lightly or individually. It involves the extended family, the 'aiga, and often the village. The family provides the support structure: physically present during the sessions, responsible for the ritual exchange of gifts and goods with the tufuga (called the tofa), and expected to witness and celebrate the completion.
Before the tatau begins, there is typically a formal ceremony of engagement between the recipient's family and the tufuga. Fine mats, food, and other ceremonial items are exchanged. The tufuga assesses the recipient, considers the design, and establishes the schedule of work.
Recipients are expected to prepare their bodies and minds. The process will be extremely painful, and the willingness to endure that pain without stopping is itself part of the meaning. A man who begins the pe'a and cannot complete it receives the name pe'a mutu (the broken tattoo), which has historically carried social stigma within Samoan communities.
How the Pe'a Is Applied: The Process Step by Step
The pe'a covers the body from the waist to the knees in dense, symmetrical geometric patterns. It is not completed in a single session. The work unfolds across multiple days, sometimes weeks, depending on the tufuga's schedule, the recipient's endurance, and the complexity of the design.
According to the Wikipedia entry on the pe'a, the tufuga typically begins work on the lower back and works outward and downward. The most painful areas, including the back of the knees and the inner thighs, are usually worked after the recipient has already proven their endurance through the earlier phases.
During each session, the recipient lies on a mat or pandanus leaf pad while the tufuga works. The 'au toso stretch the skin and wipe the work continuously. Family members sit nearby, sometimes singing or praying to encourage the recipient. The pain is intense and cumulative. As the days progress, the skin becomes more sensitised, and maintaining composure becomes more demanding.
When a session ends, the worked areas are treated with coconut oil or other traditional preparations. Swelling and soreness are expected. The recipient rests, eats well, and prepares for the next session.
The Malu: Application and Differences
The malu, the female tatau, follows a similar process but differs in scope and visual character. The malu covers the upper thigh to just below the knee and is visually lighter than the pe'a, using finer linework and more open space in the design. However, the areas covered by the malu include some of the most sensitive areas of the body, and the process is no less demanding than the pe'a in terms of endurance required.
The malu is also applied by the tufuga ta tatau, with the same ceremony and family presence that surrounds the pe'a. The same exchange of fine mats and ceremonial gifts takes place. The same communal witnessing and support structures apply.
The word malu means to shelter or protect, and the process of receiving the malu is understood as an act of taking on the responsibility of protection within the family and community. This meaning shapes how the experience is framed spiritually and culturally throughout the process.
Completion and Ceremony
When the tatau is complete, the completion is marked with ceremony. For the pe'a, the completion ceremony traditionally involves the tufuga presenting the newly tattooed recipient as a soga'imiti, a man who has earned the right to wear the full pe'a. The community celebrates the recipient's courage and endurance. Fine mats and food are again exchanged between the family and the tufuga.
The completed tatau is not a conclusion. It is a beginning. From the moment of completion, the soga'imiti (for men) or the woman who bears the malu carries the tatau as a living identity marker, visible evidence of their commitment to Fa'a Samoa, to their family, and to the ancestral traditions that make them Samoan.
Traditional Tatau in the 21st Century
Today, tufuga ta tatau travel internationally to serve Samoan diaspora communities in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. The traditional hand-tapping method is maintained in both Samoa and in diaspora settings. Many diaspora Samoans choose to receive their tatau in Samoa itself, travelling home specifically for the experience, treating it as a pilgrimage as well as a rite of passage.
The traditional process is distinct from the modern tattoo industry, including many Pacific-inspired tattoo studios that use electric machines to create designs based on traditional Samoan motifs. While such tattoos may have aesthetic or personal significance, they are not the same as a traditional tatau, which requires the participation of a tufuga ta tatau and carries the specific cultural and spiritual weight of the tradition.
Explore more of Samoan cultural heritage on The Koko Samoa blog. And carry the symbols of that heritage into daily life through our Samoan-designed clothing and full range of products.
Conclusion
The traditional Samoan tatau is one of the most demanding and most sacred bodily practices in any living cultural tradition. It is performed by hereditary masters using ancient tools, witnessed by family, supported by community, and completed as an act of commitment to something larger than the individual. Every line is a covenant. Every session is a test. Every completed tatau is a declaration of identity that will be worn for life.
Understanding how the tatau is done is understanding how Fa'a Samoa is carried in the body, generation after generation, across every ocean where Samoan people have traveled.
Frequently Asked Questions
What tools are used in traditional Samoan tattooing?
Traditional Samoan tattooing uses hand-crafted tools called au, made from sharpened pig's tusk, bone, or turtle shell attached to a turtle shell plate and lashed to a wooden handle with coconut fibre. The tufuga ta tatau taps the au into the skin using a wooden mallet called the sausau. Different au are used for different aspects of the design, from broad background fill to fine linework. The ink (lama) is traditionally made from burnt candlenut soot mixed with coconut oil.
How long does a Samoan pe'a take to complete?
The pe'a (male full-body tatau from waist to knees) is completed over multiple sessions spanning several days to several weeks. The length depends on the tufuga's schedule, the recipient's endurance, and the complexity of the design. Each session can last from a few hours to most of a day. Completion in a single continuous session would be extremely rare and is not the traditional practice.
Who can perform a traditional Samoan tatau?
Traditional Samoan tatau can only be performed by a tufuga ta tatau, a hereditary master tattooist whose knowledge is passed down through specific family lines. The role has been maintained through two Samoan families for centuries: the Sa Su'a family from Savai'i and the Sa Tulou'ena family from Upolu. The tufuga works with two assistants called 'au toso who stretch the skin and wipe the work area during sessions.
Is it painful to receive a Samoan tatau?
Yes, the tatau process is intensely painful. The hand-tapping method involves directly penetrating the skin with a bone comb, and the density of the pe'a in particular means that large areas of the body are worked repeatedly. Enduring the pain without stopping is itself part of the cultural meaning: completing the pe'a is a demonstration of courage and commitment. A man who begins but cannot finish is called a pe'a mutu (broken tattoo), which has historically carried social stigma.
What happens after the tatau is complete?
The completion of the tatau is marked with ceremony. For the pe'a, the newly tattooed man is presented as a soga'imiti, a man who has earned the right to wear the full tatau. The community celebrates his courage and endurance. Fine mats and food are exchanged between the family and the tufuga in a formal ceremony of completion and gratitude. The tatau itself then becomes a permanent visible marker of the wearer's identity, commitment, and place within Fa'a Samoa for the rest of their life.
