Implements

The implements and material required by the expert are a set of tattooing combs kept in a special receptacle, a tapping mallet, mortar, pestle, candlenut soot, and a palette for the pigment when operating. A small wooden bowl of water in which to rest the combs and an assistant with a supply of damped bark cloth to use for sponging complete the preparations for the operation. (See Plate LVI, B.)

Tattooing combs. The au tattooing comb consists of a serrated bone attached transversely like an adz to a handle. In olden times, Turner (41, p. 89) says a piece of human bone from the pelvis (os ilium) was used to form the comb. They are now made of boar's tusk ground down into plates not exceeding 1 mm. in thickness, ranging from 5.5 mm. upwards in width, and from 17 to 31 mm. in depth. The width of the plates varies with the width of the curved sections of the tusk. The vertical axis of the plate corresponds with the long axis of the tusk. The upper edge is bevelled on the anterior surface.

The bone plate is lashed to a plate of turtle shell which makes the connection with the handle. The turtle shell is ground down to an average thickness of 2 mm., though in a few instances it may be as little as 1.5 mm. or as much as 2.5 mm. The width and depth varies with the variety of comb. (See figure 327.)

In olden days the teeth must have been cut with thin chips of stone. Nowadays a steel table knife with the edge roughened to act like a saw forms an efficacious instrument. In sawing the bone plate with knife or chip, the plate, from the support it receives on the midrib vice, is not liable to break or snap. The plate is divided into from 1 to 1.5 teeth per millimetre. In shaping the teeth, the two end teeth are always made wider than the others to prevent their breaking off so easily, but the points are made as fine as the others.

In these days, the teeth are sharpened with a piece of school slate ground to a thin edge from both surfaces. The instrument is rubbed between the teeth to sharpen the points and clear the inter-teeth spaces. The length of the teeth is about 5 to 6 mm.

There are four types of tattooing instruments of different widths for different functions.

1.	The au fa'atala, or au mono, is the narrowest instrument. In five instruments measured, the width of the bone plate ranged from 5.5 to 7 mm. and the depth from 22 to 26 mm. The turtle shell plate ranged from 6 to 7 mm. in width and 32 to 45 mm. in depth. The width between the points of the outside teeth ranged from 3 to 4 mm. and the number of teeth from 4 to 6. The overlap between the two plates is from 11 to 13 mm. The implement as its name implies is used for making points (tola) or dots. It is also the instrument used for measuring off the commencement of the work on the back. (See Plate LVI, B, 7.)
2.	The au songi aso laitiiti had a bone plate 22 mm. deep and 9 mm. at its widest part. The turtle shell plate was 28 mm. deep and 9 mm. wide. The overlap between the two was 11 mm. The width across the teeth was 6 mm. and the number was 10. The instrument was used for making fine lines.
3.	Of six au songi aso tetele measured, the bone plate ranged in depth from 20 to 31 mm. and in width from 15 to 20 mm. The turtle shell plate ranged in depth from 30 to 50 mm. and in width from 15 to 20 mm. The width across the teeth ranged between 13 and 17 mm. and the number of page 638teeth from 14 to 20. The overlap was 11 to 14 mm. The use was for making the wider or thicker lines. (See Plate LVI, B, 2.)
4.	Of the two au tapulu measured, the bone plates were 17 and 19 mm. deep and 53 and 55 mm. wide. The turtle shell plates were 63 and 68 mm. deep and 53 and 56 mm. wide. They were 49 and 52 mm. in width across the teeth and there were 41 and 46 teeth. The overlap between the two plates was 9 mm. in both instances. The greater width of the au tapulu is obtained by joining three or four sections of bone together. (See Plate LVI, B, 6.) It is used for filling in the field in the dark parts of the tattooing. Of the four types of implement, the au songi aso tetele is the one in most use. Though there are four main types of instrument, the artist may have more than one variety of each by using different widths of even the same type.

The handle ('au) is made of fau and ranges in length from about 9.5 inches in the smallest instrument to 11.75 inches in the largest. The handle is rounded or elliptical in cross section for most of its course. In the smallest instrument it is 0.3 inches in diameter and 0.4 inches in the largest. The proximal end of the handle is cut away on the under surface for 3 to 3.5 inches for about half its thickness. This gives a flat under surface for the grip and renders the handle less liable to roll in the hand during the operation. The distal end is cut away slightly on the under side to form a slot for the upper end of the turtle shell plate. When the plate is fitted in position, its front surface lies flush with the end surface of the handle. Some handles are made of thin bamboo.

The handle lashing forms a neat piece of work. The thicker tuatua coconut fibres are used and look like fine copper wire. (See figure 328.)

Some of the lashings are very simple but the vertical and lateral turns through the hole are the same. In many of the au tapulu there are two holes for the lashing. In these, one half of the vertical turns and one set of lateral turns pass through each hole but the principle is the same.

Instrument container. The word tunuma which signifies the Samoan container for holding the implements must not be confused with tuluma, a wooden box with a lid cut out of the solid and said to have been introduced from the Tokelau Islands. The Samoan tunuma is a cylindrical wooden vessel open at both ends as in Plate LV, B, 4. This form is made of a section of pandanus trunk which is easily hollowed. An old tunuma that belonged to the father of Faioso, the young tattooing artist, has been cut out of solid wood and is wider at one end than the other. This is the characteristic shape of the tunuma and not the evenly cylindrical. It was also unique in being covered on its outer side by a close check plaiting of the single thick coconut husk fibres, which overlapped the upper wide margin and descended to within an inch or so of the lower narrower margin. Kramer (18, vol. 2, p. 75) figures an example but owing to the human figure carved on the outer side, the container certainly looks as if it belonged to Tonga instead of Samoa. Kramer himself attributes the container to Tonga.

The instruments are packed away inside the container with the teeth turned inwards to the middle. The handles protrude down through the smaller end and are packed round with thin bark cloth inside the container to prevent the combs turning and becoming injured. A number of instruments may be packed away as the combs are turned in at different levels.

The mallet (sausau) is made of a piece of dry coconut leaf midrib cut to a length of about 23 inches with cross diameters at the thick end of 0.6 and 0.5 inches. The handle part is cut away like the instrument handles to give firm hold to the fingers and prevent it turning in the fingers. (See Plate LVI, B, 5.)

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The pigment is prepared from the soot of the candlenut in exactly the same way as for dyeing bark cloth. The material is kept in a coconut shell named pupu lama from its use.

A mortar (Pl. LVI, B, 1) is prepared from a coconut shell which is cut off above the equator. It is termed the ipu tu'i lama, as the lama soot is ground (tu'i) in it. The required quantity of soot is poured into it from the shell container and ground up fine with a wooden pestle (tu'i) made of fau wood. (See Plate LVI, B, 1.) When the dry soot is rendered sufficiently fine, water is added to form a thick pigment.

The palette (ipu tu'u lama), is also formed out of a half coconut shell (ipu) over the opening of which a talo leaf or a mamala leaf is tied with a strip of fau bast. (See Plate LVI, B, 3.) The pigment is dipped up on the pestle and dropped on the improvised palette. In order that the half shell may rest on the ground, the bottom or muli is chipped off or the shell may be set up between three stones to keep it level. Nowadays the talo leaf is usually tied over the end of an empty beef tin because of its flat bottom.

Vessels. A small wooden bowl containing water is used for the instruments when the operation of tattooing is going on. The handles of the instruments are rested on the ground with the combs leant over the rim of the bowl and their teeth thus submerged in the contained water. As the operator finishes with one instrument, he leans it over the rim of the bowl and picks up the particular instrument he requires. The bowl is not a special part of the artist's kit but is a suitable sized bowl obtained from the household.

Another bowl of water is used for washing and dampening the cloth, serving as sponge or towel.

Towels (solo) are formed of old siapo cloth (ta'afi) that owing to use is frayed and soft. (See Plate LVI, B, 8.) A piece is held by the artist wound round the handle of the instrument in use to keep it from slipping. The bare handle is never held.

Another solo is held by the assistant. It is usually dampened overnight and is spread over the skin in front or below the part being tattooed. The assistant stretches the skin taut with the solo. Every now and again as the artist lifts his instrument, the assistant wipes off the blood and extra pigment with the towel. He then quickly moves it down away from the tattooing edge and turns the cloth to expose a clean part as he sees fit. The assistant is also called solo and his main duty is to sponge the tattooing.

Preliminary procedure. For the children of ordinary chiefs (matai), the father consults the artist he desires and they arrange the date for commencing the operation. On the appointed day, the artist visits the village and commences work without any ceremonial.

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If a chief's son, the father visits the expert and offers a fine mat to seal the bargain. The mat, if accepted, is called the fusi ta. The expert, on the day appointed by himself, visits the village and takes a large pig (le momoli o le tufunga) as a present to the family of the patient. The pig is divided up amongst the chiefs and talking chiefs of the village. The act of respect adds greatly to the expert's social status, especially if he is a commoner. A speech (launga) is made to the expert by the village talking chief and appropriate references are made to the craft of tattooing. The ceremonial drinking of kava takes place and the tattooing artist has the honor of the first cup. By virtue of his occupation, he ranks with builders as the companion of kings (angai o tupu). The usual feast follows. If all the ceremonial takes place in the morning, the expert may commence tattooing in the afternoon, but if too late, he announces to the gathering that work will commence on the morrow.