Patterns of the Past traces the history and practice of tattooing through the ancient oral traditions of the Cook Island people, as well as from reports of early Western visitors and rich archival material. The book looks at the current practices of contemporary Cook Island tattooists, what the tattoos mean and what techniques and instruments are traditionally used. More than 250 colour and black and white images included.

Author Biography

Therese Mangos is a New Zealand-born Cook Islander, member of the Pacific Arts Committee at Creative NZ. Mangos has previously been published in Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body and Culture. John Utanga is a Cook Islands journalist, and has worked for Tagata Pasifika. Photographer Kirsty Griffin has shot stills for films such as Apron Strings, River Queen and Whale Rider.