Kirituhi is the name for designs drawn in the patterns of tā moko, the Māori tattoo, for people outside that tradition.

Is this a design on skin?

No. Each design is a drawing on white paper, for taking to a studio or printing.

Can I ask for a silver fern or a different pattern?

Yes. Type a different pattern or twist, such as a silver fern; the result is a new drawing, not a guaranteed match.

What is the difference between the styles?

Bold black uses thick curving lines and solid fills with spiral cut-outs. Fine line is one thin outline with little shading. Dotwork builds the shadows from dots.

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/maori-tattoos · tattoo

Māori tattoo designs: kirituhi band, koru spiral, hei matau fish hook

Māori tattoos — a wide band for the upper arm made of koru spirals, unaunahi fish-scale rows and pakati notched lines, a bold kirituhi drawing, thick curving black lines with solid black fills and spiral cut-outs, symmetrical as in Māori carving

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every sample — three subjects, three styles ↓

Reading 1Kirituhi band

Reading 2Koru

Reading 3Hei matau

Tā moko is the tattoo of Māori people in Aotearoa New Zealand; kirituhi is the name for designs drawn in its patterns for people outside the tradition. The nine sheets show a band of koru spirals, a koru fern spiral and a hei matau fish hook. Each is drawn as bold black, fine line and dotwork. Type a different pattern or twist, such as a silver fern, and the same styles can be asked for.

an upper-arm band in Māori patterns
a shoulder piece with a hei matau
a small koru for the forearm
a printed sheet to discuss with an artist

Frequently asked questions

What is kirituhi?: Kirituhi is the name for designs drawn in the patterns of tā moko, the Māori tattoo, for people outside that tradition.
Is this a design on skin?: No. Each design is a drawing on white paper, for taking to a studio or printing.
Can I ask for a silver fern or a different pattern?: Yes. Type a different pattern or twist, such as a silver fern; the result is a new drawing, not a guaranteed match.
What is the difference between the styles?: Bold black uses thick curving lines and solid fills with spiral cut-outs. Fine line is one thin outline with little shading. Dotwork builds the shadows from dots.

About toile

This page is a showcase and a starting point: nine samples already rendered, three readings of the pack crossed with three styles, each shown at the size and ratio it was made for. Take any of them further on the wall with a few words, or ask for all nine again under your own direction; a sign-in keeps what you make, and it is free while Toile is new. The recipe behind each sample — the subject, the style, the palette, the framing — travels with the image rather than staying private to the render: it is in the alt text of every sample and in the page's own structured data, so a search engine reads the same handles a person would.