Woland said:In order to go even more off-topic:
Among tattooists there is this story about a guy who paid a bunch for a maori backpiece, and (although being Non-Maori) entered a tattoo competition in NZ.
As he strutted his stuff on stage, the audience (mostly Maori) broke down in fits of laughter.
As it turned out, his backpiece was a traditional pattern reserved for the Chiefs 3rd mistress...
"A Maori backpiece? Sure, I can do a Maori backpiece on you. Gonna cost you though... Bend over!"
Tribal Convention in Borneo.
That's the danger with getting something which you have no cultural attachment to, half the time people don't know anything about the subject and either end up getting something incorrect or which just looks ridiculous. Maori tattoos and designs traditionally often display a person's lineage and standing, and a connection with tupuna (ancestors). If you don't have a Maori background you come across as pretty stupid.
