A preserved Maori head with traditional facial tattoos, kept as a trophy of war or for ritual reasons.
mokomokai became highly sought after as curios
Example sentencesExamples
His work evocatively includes both Maori iconography and culture, such as shrunken heads (mokomokai), native birds such as tui, and European symbols and items.
These are some of the mokomokai preserved in the museums of France.
We the living generation of carved mokopuna require the mokomokai of our forefathers to be given back immediately.
One of the driving forces behind this idea is the offence experienced by Maori people at the display of mokomokai (smoked tattooed heads), the head being considered particularly sacred.
The Mokomokai were a constant element in the development of Māori society and had enormous cultural significance for them.
As a sailor, he had previously traded in smoke-dried Māori tattooed heads (mokomokai), which generally fetched £10 apiece.
Te Wherowhero ordered those with fine tattoos to be carefully beheaded so their mokomokai could be saved for trade.
In the case of mokomokai, anthropological inquisitiveness curdled withghoulish fascination.
He built up an unrivalled collection of mokomokai.
The Museum of New Zealand effectuated the return from museums or private collections abroad to New Zealand of 300 to 500 mummified Māori heads (Mokomokai).
Origin
Late 19th century: Maori, literally 'tattooed slave or captive'.