The Disturbing Story of The Maori Heads...

This slightly macabre photograph is of Major General Horatio Gordon Robley posing in 1895 with his collection of tattooed Maori heads. The Major was a British army officer and artist who served in New Zealand in the 1860's during the land wars. When he returned to England he built up a collection of 35 mokomokai (Maori tattooed heads). Moko facial tattoos were traditional in Māori culture until the mid 19th century and served as an identifying connection between an individual and their ancestors. When someone with moko died, their heads were often preserved, by removing their brains and eyes and sealing all orifices with flax fiber and gum. The head was then boiled or steamed before being smoked over an open fire and dried in the sun for several days. It was then treated with shark oil to preserve it. Usually the heads were kept by the family in ornately-carved boxes. However with the arrival of Europeans in the early 19th century, the heads became a commercial trade item which could be bartered for firearms and ammunition.The demand for firearms was so high that some tribes carried out raids on their neighbors to acquire more heads to trade with. They also tattooed prisoners with meaningless tattoos rather than genuine moko in order to provide heads to order… A pretty gruesome business.


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