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Samoan Material Culture
The Navel
The Navel
The tattooing was finished with a mark made over the navel (pute) which showed that the work was done. (See figure 333 b, 16.) To the
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tufunga it was the last tap of the tattooing comb but to the patient it was the symbol of endurance and manhood, for no youth gets the navel mark until his full tattooing is completed.
Figure 336.—Tattooing designs, thigh and knee. (Drawn by the tattooing artist Faioso).
The back of the left thigh, with the inner and part of front areas spread out. The vertical panel (3) instead of the usual plain aso fa'amuli'ali'ao parallel lines is formed of spaced longitudinal lines, serrated and enhanced by triangles and with various motifs introduced. To the left are very long Trochus (shell) triangles (1) arranged in pairs (moelua) of the same length. The atingivae (2) is narrower on the left and much deeper on the inner side which is continuous with the birds' head area (5). The belt area (4) shows the elaborate longitudinal panels.